She Has No Time
by SuNsHiNe10
Summary: [Song-fic, Slight AU] Or lie to yourself...and watch it all dissolve around you...[Complete]
1. Prologue

This is kinda my breakaway piece from Forbidden. Try as I may, I can't update the darn thing. So this is my compensation. It's mostly Beast Boy/Terra angst, partially onesided, then Beast Boy/Raven. (Call me evil, but I love to massacre the Beast Boy/Terra relationship.) They are the major characters in the story. Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg only appear in the prologue but are mentioned throughout the story. My idea is that it's a 4-shot song fic- there will be 3 chapters excluding this that contain an excerpt from the song "She Has No Time" by Keane. Well, I hope you like it! By the way...this is all in the past. Enjoy!

"_So...we're really doing this?"_

_Robin sighed, running a hand through his shoulder length ebony locks. He propped his leg against the wall behind him and leaned into it, fingering his pocket where a box of cigarettes were calling his name. It was a dirty habit he'd picked up, but with all the added stress lately he thought it was justified. He looked up at his team, strangling his hold as leader. _

"_That was what we agreed on. It was a unanimous vote." It was a tired response, but he couldn't muster anything else. He was so tired. Everyone was._

_On the opposite side of the stage where the team hid, a congregation of media members clamored in confusion. It was extremely rare for the Teen Titans to hold a press conference, especially under these pretenses. Robin had sent out the message this morning for all reporters to meet in City Hall. He said it was an emergency. There was a buzz of excitement and panic running through the crowd, the thrill of obtaining this new and electrifying story, but the fear of what that story was. _

_Terra stole a peek outside before nervously biting her thumbnail. "Even still, as much as I want to do this, I...I can't help having second thoughts..." The blonde began nervously braiding the ends of her hair as Beast Boy rubbed her knee reassuringly._

"_Of course you're having second thoughts. We all are. This isn't something trivial like whose turn it is to take out the garbage. This is gargantuan. It could completely shatter life in Jump City as we know it." Raven quipped, her sad amethyst eyes glinting under her white hood. Cyborg sat on a crate, ignoring its creaking under his weight._

"_Well, let's figure out all the reasons." Beast Boy groaned._

"_We DID that already!"_

"_And we're gonna do it again! Now...why do we want to do this?"_

_Starfire twiddled her thumbs, her deep crimson bangs falling into her bright, normally excited eyes. "Because we have rid the city of all known villains."_

"_Because we need some time to chill out." Beast Boy piped._

"_Because we have never known a life of privacy." Raven added._

"_Because we can't be expected to run the show for the rest of our lives."_

"_There. See? There it is." Robin pushed himself off the wall and stepped into the center of the circle. "We all want the same thing. To be anonymous. To have peace. To be alone. We've lost our entire childhoods saving this city over and over again, and I'm sick of it. They can't expect us to do this for the rest of our lives. I mean, look at us! We're all in our twenties and none of us have even been to high school! We-We've never had to take a calculus test! We've never been to a school dance! We've never been picked last in gym class! We've never even been to a detention for being caught in the wrong locker room!"_

"_Geez, if being a normal teenager means doing all that, I say we stay superheroes." Beast Boy joked, but no one laughed, and he sunk into silence._

"_My point is, we've missed out on being kids. I don't want to miss out on being adults too. The people of this city seem to forget that we're not machines. We're people, just like them. We have wants, needs, desires. And I don't want to save the world anymore. I want to be normal, to settle down...and have a family." He smiled sweetly when he said this and glanced lovingly at Starfire. She returned with a small, shy grin and took his hand in hers, the one that was garnished with a beautiful diamond ring. "So...what do you say?"_

_There was a long silence as each member of the team had their own epic battle within themselves. Starfire was the first to speak._

"_I have resided on this planet for an extended period of time...and yet there is much I have not seen because of our...duties. I wish to explore every inch of this wondrous earth, I wish to see everything I can, and I wish to know things that no one else knows. I wish to be with Robin, too, and I wish not to worry that every time we go out on a mission...one of us will not be returning." She paused and squeezed Robin's hand, taking a deep breath. "That is why my vote is yes."_

_Cyborg cleared his throat and looked up. "I've always wanted my own garage. To be able to trick out even the dingiest vehicles. Hell, I'd put "Pimp My Ride" to shame. I'm not bein' cocky y'all but, hey, I'm good. I'm real good. I've got a cousin in Metropolis that can hook me up with a sweet place. It's small, but it's heaven. I can start from scratch and be the best mechanic in the city. Just like my dad. Just like I always wanted to be." He stared up dreamily, smiling wistfully as he conjured the idea. "So...I'm in, too."_

"_Dudes, I can use my fame to start an animal rights foundation. People always want to help out celebrities, and I could really do some good! Think; I could help save the rainforests!" Beast Boy was excited by his idea, and his eyes lit up at the thought of it. Terra giggled and threw her arms around his neck._

"_I just wanna spend as much time as possible with my little green elf." She laughed, ruffling his hair." Robin turned to Raven, whose leg had suddenly tensed for reasons she was, even after all these years, still unwilling to admit._

"_Rae?"_

_The empath pulled down her hood and shook out her gorgeous lavender hair. "When I asked all of you to join this team, the main purpose was to defeat my father and stop him from emerging and taking over the world. Now that he is destroyed and I am pure...I see no reason to maintain this team." Her voice was as cold and unfeeling as ever, but her eyes were downcast and pricked with some unknown emotion that the others could not decipher. "I will miss it, though." she breathed as an afterthought. _

"_Me too." Beast Boy whispered._

"_A world without Teen Titans. Why does that sound scarier than I thought it would?"_

"_Because we are giving up the one thing we have known for nearly our entire lives to start something entirely new. The idea is daunting. I do not know if I am ready..." Starfire bit her lower lip anxiously and hesitated. "Friends....I wish for you all to promise me...that we will always remain companions. No matter where life's long road may lead us, promise me we shall always remain friends. Forever."_

_The young woman still held that air of innocence she possessed at sixteen. Her teammates couldn't let it shatter. Not just yet._

"_Of course, Star." Cyborg said with feigned cheerfulness._

"_Always and forever!" Terra chimed, and Beast Boy nodded. Starfire smiled in return...but she knew in her heart that they were lying through their teeth._

_Terra glanced beyond the curtain again. "They're getting antsy out there."_

"_Whose gonna do it?"_

_There was a long, awkward silence as each of the six adults ran headlong into the brick wall of reality. After some effort, Raven spoke._

"_I will." She stepped out of her corner and bravely walked to the edge of the stage, where the curtain parted the safe realm of her childhood from the frightening world of growing up. She raised a hand to push the red velvet aside, but soon found herself shaking. Her hand remained suspended in the air for a moment or two, before it dropped like a weight to her side and she dejectedly rushed back to the wall, head hung and arms crossed. "I can't. I can't do it." Her voice actually cracked, if only in the slightest, and Beast Boy draped an arm around her slim shoulders. She shivered from the touch, but did not pull away. Terra defensively snatched his other hand, but no one seemed to notice._

_Robin swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing up and down nervously. "I will." His voice was stalwart and cool, like the famed action hero of Beast Boy's favorite movie or the quarterback who threw the winning touchdown of the superbowl. He rolled back his shoulders and held his chin high, and for one brief and shining moment he was Robin again, the fearless, clever leader of the greatest crime fighting team Jump City had ever known. Releasing Starfire's hand, he walked confidently to the edge of the stage, his cape floating behind him like a cloud._

"_Are you sure man?"_

_He paused at Cyborg's voice. Turning back, he smiled sadly at his team. His team. He was really going to miss those words._

"_Consider it my final act as leader."_

_The Titans rose and took their places behind him, bracing themselves for impact._

"_We're here for you, dude." Beast Boy said as he clapped a hand down on his shoulder._

"_For the last time." Raven murmured, but everyone heard. The group took a collective breath, and Moses, parted the Red Sea that was the curtain, and stepped into the line of fire._

_There was a resounding roar of shutters clicking and bulbs flashing and the senseless babble of reporters as they all tried to get one single question in. Robin raised a gloved hand, and the crowd was silenced. The team was mesmerized by his command over the people. He stepped forward, where a podium adorned with dozens of tv microphones awaited him. Every fiber in his body screamed. _

'_Run. Run fast and run far. Never grow up. Be a kid forever and stay up late and watch scary movies and eat ice cream for breakfast every day. You can have it all. If you run.'_

_But he pushed past it, and with a strong, deep voice he spoke._

"_Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I suppose you're all wondering why we've called you here. What I am about to say will come as a great shock to everyone. Please realize that this decision was unanimous, and only made after much deliberation." A beat. He drew a breath. "All great things must come to an end, and we are no exception. We've called this press conference to announce that the Teen Titans are disbanding."_

_No matter how eloquent and well spoken the rest of Robin's speech was, it was lost in the sledgehammer impact of that one sentence._

_The Teen Titans were no more._


	2. One

**You think your days are uneventful  
****And no one ever thinks about you.  
****She goes her own way.  
****She goes her own way.  
****You think your days are ordinary  
****And no one ever thinks about you.  
****But we're all the same.  
****And she can hardly breathe without you.**

**She says she has no time, for you now.  
****She says she has no time.**

The last time that all six Titans were in the same room was at the wedding of Richard Grayson and Kory Anders, although, despite the strategically placed name cards which said otherwise, the groom and bride were still addressed as Robin and Starfire. It was a wonderful event; Cyborg got a little tipsy early on and proclaimed his love for a lampshade, and Raven even danced. This was only after the tag-team urging of Starfire ("Please, it would make me ever so happy! Do not upset me on the day which I am wed!") and Beast Boy. ("C'mon. C'mon. C'MON!") Eventually she gave in, and Terra reluctantly gave up her beau for the empath, or rather, she watched in hysterics as he dragged the poor girl on the floor during that horrendous Bette Midler song. In spite of herself, Raven enjoyed it.

There was laughter and dancing and champagne promises that everything would always be this way. But as the stupor of that whimsical weekend began to fade, so did the contact between the team. The glue that bonded them together was pulling apart into the fine strands of a spider's web. Robin and Starfire sailed to Europe on their honeymoon. Cyborg returned to his shop in the city. Beast Boy became more active in the health food industry than the McCartneys with Terra on his arm. And Raven...Raven just vanished.

The Teen Titans had not seen each other in over five years.

---

Garfield Logan woke up that morning to the gentle hiss of the shower and the sweet humming of his wife. Yawning, he fisted an eye and scratched his exposed stomach, rolling the bitter taste of morning around in his mouth. He attempted to sit up, but feeling far too lazy, he decided instead to sprawl out on the bed and bask in the warm rays of sunshine seeping in between the blinds.

A moment or so later, Terra emerged from the bathroom, toweling her long golden hair dry and throwing a smile towards the bed. Garfield grinned.

"Mornin', beautiful."

Her blue eyes sparkled as she combed out her soaking blonde locks. "Good morning, sweetheart. Sleep well?"

"Very. Though I must say not much sleep was done." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and she rolled her eyes, crossing the room and playfully hitting him in the shoulder as she entered the large walk-in closet beside the bed. Garfield flipped onto his stomach, tilting his head over the side of the bed and balancing a hand on the floor to watch her.

"What are you doing up this early?" He drawled, readjusting his hold on the chilly wooden floor. Terra reappeared, holding a professional pink button down blouse in one hand and a pair of sleek black dress pants in the other. She dropped the clothes onto the bed, careful not to wrinkle them, and went to the mirror to apply her make-up.

"I told you already." she said with pursed lips as she ran a stick of ruby red lip gloss across her full lips. "I have a meeting with the board. We're discussing a new marketing plan." She smacked her lips together to ensure that the coating was even, and picked up a small brush to spread her eye shadow neatly across her lids. Carefully, she pulled down her lower lid gently and began to put on the eyeliner as her husband watched in fascination.

"Again? You've had 3 meetings this week!" He sat up, dropping his chin into his 2 open palms and jutting out a lower lip childishly. Terra giggled and spritzed a generous amount of perfume along her neck and wrists. When she finished that, she moved to the bathroom again, snatching up the clothes as she went, and kicked the door partially shut. The faucet was turned on within, followed by the immediate sound of brushing.

"I'm sorry, Gar, but there's nothing else I can do. Someone's gotta bring home the bacon around here." Her voice was slightly obscured by the contents of her mouth, and he heard her spit.

"Hey! You know I resent that phrase!"

The water turned off and there was a slight rustling inside before Terra came out, fully dressed and ready to go. She combed her fingers through her shimmering, straight flaxen hair. She was one of the few women in the world who possessed hair that did not require a blow dryer because it dried on its own perfectly. "Sorry, sorry. I'm just saying that with you unemployed I've got to pull the extra weight." Garfield raised an eyebrow, a little offended.

"What are you talking about? I gave you a foundation, I created an entire health food empire from scratch while you sat around and did your nails. I think a little role reversal is in order." He crossed his arms defiantly and she sighed, deciding to ignore the comment to get away from any confrontation.

"Fine, fine. Sit around in your underwear and watch Maury all day. See if I care." There was a pause, before Garfield lit up with a wide grin, and snagged his arm around her slim waist and dragged her on top of him onto the bed. She squealed in objection and laughed, feigning strain as she tried to get up. Her gorgeous shining hair caught the attention of the sunlight and seemed to radiate on its own as it fell around Garfield's head, enclosing them into an intimate cave.

"My little free spirit, the CEO of a fortune 500 company. Who'da thunk it?" She chuckled to herself and began tracing small circles on his chiseled chest.

"Times change, Gar. People change. It's the way of the world." Her words sounded a bit more cryptic than they should have, though he did not notice. Terra made a move to rise, but Garfield was firm and didn't release his hold. She furrowed her brow, a little annoyed. "Bubby, I've gotta go. I'll be late." She'd picked up the nickname for him when she was seventeen and she heard an elderly Jewish woman use it to address her son. Thinking it was adorable, she immediately adapted it to sound like the boy's former initials.

He made his eyes wider and did his best to look innocent. "A quickie before work?"

"I just showered." She whined, but his bright green eyes were too irresistible. She sighed, pretending she was giving up a great deal by giving into his wishes. "Oh, alright." she muttered, and was quickly captured in a wild kiss and thrown into a sea of giggles and flying bed sheets.

---

With his hands stuffed into the deep pockets of his winter jacket, Garfield leaned against the doors on the elevator, waiting to be brought from his 10th story apartment to the ground level. He wasn't going to wear the coat; actually he wasn't even planning on heading out that day. After his coffee machine spontaneously combusted, the friendly weatherman with the radiate teeth on channel 7 coaxed him to take a walk. The elevator bell rang, and so Garfield hoisted himself up, waited for the doors to open, and stepped outside.

He exited the building, slamming the elegant glass door behind him, and slid down the banister of his stoop. It had rained the night before, so the air still possessed a twinge of chill despite the glorious sunshine. Garfield puffed out a breath of air, watching it swirl in an opaque mist around his head as he observed the scene around him. Mothers were kissing their children goodbye as they hopped jovially onto the big fat yellow school buses, the windows rattling with the squeals of delight and disgust. Businessmen in starched, pin-stripe suits chattered senselessly into their cell phones, clutching their Italian leather briefcases protectively to their sides. Street vendors rolled out their carts and warmed up their vocal chords for the long, eventful day.

Garfield smiled. He really adored the normalcy of his new life. He was treated like any other ordinary person. True, once in a blue moon a fan would recognize him and hassle him for his John Hancock, but he happily obliged each time and went on his way. He was living the perfect, Leave It to Beaver life; a substantial amount of cash, a gorgeous, loving wife, and most of all, he was happy.

But, as Terra said herself, things change. He just hadn't realized how soon.

The shape shifter had ambled for about four or five blocks before the weather finally wore him down and he ducked inside a random café. Rubbing his hands together to get the feeling back in his fingers, he looked around the shop as he undid his coat collar. There was the average morning caffeine rush and a cluster of employees were frantically trying to fill out orders, but otherwise nothing was out of the ordinary. He hopped in line and watched bemusedly as a young, frazzled brunette, probably no older than 19, moved busily to and fro. She glanced up at him and raised her eyebrows, indicating she was available and ready to take his order. The green man was caught off guard and he stumbled to the counter with a foolish grin.

"Slow morning?" he joked, skimming over the large menu overhead.

"May I take your order?" she finally asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice. Not wanting to hold up the line, Garfield chose the first thing that came to mind.

"Uh, yeah. Can I get a tall mocha latte with soy milk? And," he scanned the counter for anything else he could purchase as compensation for pissing her off. He snatched up a newspaper and a box of mints. "These too." The girl punched a few numbers into the cash register, producing a series of beeps and clicks and held out her hand expectantly.

"7.82. For here or to go?" Garfield pulled out his wallet and handed her a ten dollar bill and she made a move for the register.

"Keep the change. And I'll be right over there." He pointed to a vacant table he had located in the back of the room. The girl nodded, muttering something about his order being with him shortly, before tilting her head to the side and screaming "NEXT!"

Massaging his sensitive ears, Garfield slinked away to the empty seat, setting his paper out on the table and sitting down. He opened up the paper, knowing exactly what section he wanted, but quickly noticed that two pretty blondes were passing him on their way out the back door. Even though he was married, he couldn't resist being a little flirtatious every now and then. He scattered the sheets all across the table before finally retrieving one particular section and holding it out in front of him nonchalantly.

"Ah. The business section. A fine choice for a successful businessman like myself. Ah, I see the stock market went up eight-thousand points. Being a successful businessman, I find this most pleasing. Perhaps I will celebrate by taking a ride on one of my many yachts, or perhaps taking a stroll on the veranda. The possibilities are endless for a successful businessman like me!"

The girls exchanged a look, and burst out into laughter, leaving for the exit and leaning for support on the walls. Their fit of giggles was so powerful and loud that it lingered even after they left the store. Garfield leaned back in his seat, checking if the coast was finally clear. He smirked to himself and carelessly tossed the business section behind him and picked up the section he had wanted all along; the comics.

"Heh heh heh...the perfect crime." he muttered, amused, and crossed a leg as he opened the paper to read. The waitress set down his drink on the table, but scurried away before he could thank her. He shrugged it off, and went back to his conversation with Haggard the Horrible.

He was halfway through his latte and 2/3's the way through the 4th page when something caught his attention. It shouldn't have been out of the ordinary. Considering where he was, it really was just like any other customer. On another day he may not even have looked.

Later on, he would know that looking was the best decision he had ever made in his life.

The morning rush had faded so now only a few customers trickled in every 15 minutes or so. People would stay for a couple of minutes to warm up from the harsh weather, but their presence was fleeting and so for the most part he was alone. Around 10:45, the bell laced on the door rang again and a cold rush of air swept through the store. Garfield shivered, but didn't pay much attention otherwise. That exact thing had been happening for the past hour so he saw no need to acknowledge it.

The particular strip of Funky Wilkerbean was less than stellar, so Garfield decided to use his advanced hearing abilities to his advantage. With the paper still held high enough so his face could not be seen, he eavesdropped on the scene.

There was a pair of heels walking quickly to the counter, so he knew the guest was a woman. He could hear her unwrap a scarf from around her neck and fold it over her arm. He then heard her drumming her fingernails (he could tell by the sound that they were real, unlike Terra's acrylics) on the countertop. But the next thing he heard really threw him for a loop.

"Hello. Can I please have a cup of herbal tea?"

He nearly dropped the paper.

No. Way.

That voice. The throaty, wise, experienced voice that he hadn't heard in years.

It couldn't it? No, no. Just a coincidence.

But the herbal tea? It was a little too weird. How many people did he know that ordered herbal tea? He had to look. It would drive him crazy otherwise. Ever so discreetly, he peered over the top of his paper, just for a peek.

To say that his breath was taken away would be an understatement.

There she was, as beautiful and pristine as the last day he saw her. She had grown out her hair a little so it grazed evenly just between her shoulder blades, and two twin strands framed her pale, mature face. She was wearing a black turtleneck to accentuate her curvaceous hourglass figure and a long skirt with a slit halfway up one side, giving a peek at one of her shapely legs. The chakra still remained plastering in the middle of her forehead. She was stunning, and he was floored.

Raven paid her price and sat at a table on the opposite side of the café, her nose buried deep in a leather-bound book. Garfield watched, astounded, as she casually sipped her tea. This was unreal. It was such an average day, and suddenly he was inundated with every memory she ever appeared in. He needed to talk to her, if only to be polite. But God, what to say? Five years is a long time, chatting mindlessly about the weather simply didn't seem appropriate. It didn't matter, he was a gentleman and it was the right thing to do. Taking a breath and dropping his paper to the floor, he crossed the shop and made his way over to her.

He got about halfway passed the cash register before he turned around and decided he needed a breather. This was a huge step, to just jump back in time as if nothing happened. He was normal now, he wasn't supposed to ever see her again. She was just a reminder that he had grown up and his life as a carefree teenager were over.

He sighed, bit his lower lip, and continued, running a thousand potential openers through his head.

"_Hey Rae! Long time no see!"_

"_Raven! I thought you died!"_

"_Whose been gone for half a decade? That's right, you have!"_

He was hovering over her now and with a nervous swallow, he cleared his throat and spoke.

"Raven?"

She was startled by the sudden sound, and looked up vexed that her tranquility was broken. Her eyes went wide in shock and she nearly spilled her tea across the table. Her well-formed eyebrows scrunched together in suspicion.

"Garfield? Garfield Logan?" He grinned, ecstatic that she even remembered his name.

"Wow! Raven! I can't believe it! You look fantastic!" She offered a small smile, but before she could reply he swept her up in an enormous hug. He felt every muscle in her body stiffen uneasily and he quickly dropped his arms. "Sorry, I'm really sorry. I know you don't like that stuff. I'm just...wow, it's so great to see you!" He was babbling and he knew it, but it was like someone flipped a switch and he couldn't figure out how to flip it off.

Raven tucked a wisp of her lavender hair behind her ear, exposing her flushed cheeks. "It's fine. Really. I understand." He rolled awkwardly on his heals for a moment before she finally smiled and gestured to the seat. "You CAN sit, if you'd like."

"OH! Alright! Thanks!" It was his turn to flush as he took the seat opposite of her. He fiddled his thumbs, trying to think of a topic. "So...wow. I'm amazed. How've you been doing?"

"Can't complain." She replied with a shrug. He had to smile. Same old curt, straight to the point Raven.

"So...you keep in touch with the others?"

"Every now and again I'll get a letter from Kory, but that's basically it."

"Really? How are Kory and Dick?"

"She's pregnant." Garfield lit up, grinning wide.

"Pregnant! That's wonderful! When is she due?"

"September. It's their second child." His jaw dropped.

"No! Really?! They already have a kid?"

"A daughter. And, actually..." Raven glanced down modestly, swirling her finger along the rim of her mug. "She named me her Godmother." Garfield felt like squealing, then he remembered he was in a public place, he also remembered that he was a man, and so he restrained himself.

"That's awesome! Congratulations!" She smiled and fumbled with the cover of her book. There was a brief silence when they both realized the conversation was over, before Garfield thought of something else to discuss.

"So...what have you been up to? I mean, it's been five years and all..." He saw something spark in those deep amethyst eyes and he knew he said the right thing.

"Actually...I've been writing." He raised an eyebrow.

"Writing? I didn't know you could write. Well, I mean I knew you could _write_, just not, you know, creatively and...you talk now."

She giggled very slightly and brushed her hair off of her shoulder. "I've been writing under a pseudonym. I didn't want my fame with the Titans to obscure what people thought." He nodded, fascinated.

"Good call. What have you been writing?"

"Poetry mostly. I've written one novel, but it's yet to be published."

"I'd love to read it sometime. I don't read much of anything anymore." She smiled again, stirring her tea. He liked this. It reminded him of when Raven was first purified, when she first met Rorek. She was free and unbounded, and it was beautiful. She showed a side of her personality she thought he would never see. And he loved it.

"What about you? What are you doing now?" she asked, and he was pulled from his recollections back to the present. He scratched the back of his head and smiled rascally out of the side of his mouth.

"I did a lot a little while back with the animal activists. I even created my own line of vegetarian food! I made a lot of dough, but right now I'm just kinda sitting back and letting the wifey do all the hard stuff."

There was a spike of something through Raven's eyes, like a knife through paper. He saw it, but he couldn't tell what it was. Her expression remained the same, although it seemed a bit more forced, and her eyes suddenly looked dull and dark.

"Wife? You're married?" she asked, slightly softer that she had been speaking a moment ago. Garfield held up his left hand, showing the gold band around his finger.

"Terra and I got hitched about three years ago. You remember her, right?" Underneath the table, Raven's leg tensed again.

"Yes. Of course. Terra. Who could forget?" Her tone had shifted now, it was a bit darker and almost peppered with...malice? No, that couldn't be it. "I always knew you two would end up together. Right from the start." Just as drastically as it swung one way, it swung the other. Her voice was at the same level, yet it seemed faint and distant. Garfield was baffled. Raven sighed and gathered her things.

"I really should go. It was nice seeing you again."

NO!

"Wait!" He grabbed her arm. She raised an eyebrow as if to ask what he was doing. To be honest, he didn't know. "I-I mean, it's been so long, and we have so much catching up to do and I don't want to you walk out again. I-I miss you, Rae."

Her eyes gave her away again.

"...Alright. A few hours. But I need to get some work done, alright?"

He beamed, snatched up his coat, and exited happily with her.

---

A few hours sped by, and soon Raven and Gar were spending the entire day together, reminiscing about the old days and laughing at jokes long past their punch line. Garfield had forgotten how pretty Raven's smile was. It was rare and precious, like a tropical flower, and it was meant to be treasured. He specifically continued to act silly just so her smile would stay on her face.

It was 9:00 at night, and the pair was sitting on a bench in the park. It had gotten much colder, and Garfield could feel his lips turning blue. Raven rose and brushed herself off, tightening her scarf around her neck.

"Garfield, this was amazing, but I really need to get home." His ears drooped in disappointment, but he nodded.

"I understand. You live around here?"

"Over on Greenway Alley. It's small, but it's comfortable. I enjoy it. And you?" He eyed the ground awkwardly and kicked an imaginary pebble.

"Er...Up on the boulevard." Her eyebrows were raised in genuine shock.

"Wow." She said. "Ritzy. I'm sure you worked very hard to get there. I-I should go." There was a pause between them. "I really enjoyed this, Garfield. I....I don't want....I..."She bit her lip and he could sense that being this open was not the easiest thing for her to do. "I'd like to do it again. I don't want to lose our friendship." He was glowing, grinning like a drunken fool.

"Yeah! Sure! I'd love to!" He realized his overzealousness and cleared his throat. "I mean, yeah. That would be great. Here." He fumbled through his pockets and found a pen and an old receipt to some groceries. He messily scrawled his name, number and address on the back and handed it to her. "Here, call me anytime." She smiled and in turn gave him a small card with her information.

"The same goes for you." She responded. With a nod, she turned and left the park, heading home in the opposite direction. Garfield watched her until she was enveloped by the darkness of the night. He smiled again, and turned on his heal to head back home. Everything was so exciting. He couldn't wait to tell Terra.

---

In the dark, shadowy depths of the South side of town, where the crime rates soared and you couldn't enter a children's hospital without being strip-searched, a woman sighed contently, her dull, stringy hair falling across one eye. The sheen it possessed still remained, but now seemed more similar to a slick of oil. She coiled the covers around her naked body and lit a cigarette, letting it bob up and down between her full ruby red lips. She clamped her long, elegant fingers around the cylinder and took a long drag, letting the smoke snake out through her nostrils. A looming figure stood in the doorway, tying a robe around his massive form.

"That's a terrible habit, you know." He said, and she smiled wickedly, rolling the cigarette around in her fingers.

"I could say the same thing about you." She replied, and inhaled again deeply into the white stick. The man's face was partially obscured by darkness, but a passing car flashed a light into the room so she could briefly see a smirk curling on his chapped, worm lips.

"Touché." He answered, and sat beside her, stealing a cigarette from the box at her side. "Tell me, Terra, exactly how long will it be until your husband realizes that you have not attended a board meeting in over 6 months?" She lit the stick for him and waved her own around in the air.

"He's not the brightest crayon in the box. I doubt he'll ever catch on. Besides," she flicked the cigarette offhandedly to the side and rolled on top of him, her hair falling around his head in greasy clumps. "I do have some business to attend to here." He smirked again, and he consumed her completely.

_Wow. That was ris-kay. Hope I don't get in trouble for that one._

_Few things- Thank you all SO much for the reviews. They really brighten my day. Leave any constructive criticism, I've never done Terra before, so please tell me if she was off. Raven's tricky too, since she's older now. So leave any comments pertaining to that if you wish._

_Also- I am NOT done with Forbidden by any means. I will update it, at some point, but the current chapter is very slow going and not very, dare I say it, fluffy. So I'm kinda trying out a few new writing styles so maybe it will open a door or something._

_Lastly-OMFG I USED SYMBOLISM!! –squeals- Can you find it? I spent a good 10 minutes discussing it with my dad because I was so proud._

_As always, please review! Thanks again!_


	3. Two

**Well think about the lonely people  
****Or think about the day she found you.  
****Or lie to yourself.  
****And watch it all dissolve around you.**

**She says she has no time, for you now.  
****She says she has no time, for you now.  
****She says she has no time.**

The sound of the door unlocking woke Garfield up with a jump, and he inadvertently slammed his knee into the kitchen table. Moaning in pain, he leapt up and started hopping on his opposite leg, but in the process he snagged his foot on the leg of the chair and toppled over, hitting his head on the marble floor. He groaned in agony and decided it was in his best intention to not move anymore.

Terra waltzed barefoot into the kitchen, her high heels hanging awkwardly from one hand. She dropped her keys on the countertop, letting them skid a little before coming to a halt just behind the bowl of wax fruit. She began twisting her hair up into a messy bun and glanced down at her husband, tilting her head to one side and smirking to herself.

"Comfortable?"

He glared. "Shut up." With a giggle, she crouched down in a squatting position and ran a hand through his hair.

"My poor baby." she patronized, and quickly honked his nose and stood, extending a hand to help him rise. He accepted it, rubbing his throbbing noggin, and sat back down at the table as Terra milled about the rest of the apartment. "What were you doing up this late, Bubby? It's a little past your bed time."

"I was waiting for you." he admitted just as she entered the room. She had ditched her business attire for a much more comfortable pair of flannel pants and an oversized shirt of Garfield's that enveloped her petite form. "I thought we could spend some time together, you could tell me about your day or something. I guess I fell asleep or something." He shifted his feet sheepishly and indicated a few cartons, some empty, of Dim Sum which had now grown cold. "I...uh...got dinner."

Terra laughed and began preparing herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as Garfield swept up the Chinese remains and sauntered to the garbage can. He brushed past the slim blonde, giving her a small smile, but suddenly paused. He glanced over his shoulder, sniffing at the air suspiciously. Terra caught this and eyed him self consciously. "What?" she asked, licking the swirls of creamy peanut butter off of the dull knife. Garfield shook his head, dropped the abandoned dinner into the trash can, and threw Terra another grin.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." She raised an eyebrow suspiciously as he circled the island counter and sat at the stool opposite of her. She blinked and popped her pinky into her mouth, savoring the drop of jelly that slithered down it.

"So." Terra asked as she expertly cut the crusts off of her sandwich. "What did you do today, Bubby?" Garfield lit up in excitement and nearly toppled over in his chair once again.

"You'll never guess it! You'll never guess who I saw today! Not in a hundred, million years will you ever-"

"Ok! Ok! If I'll never guess it why don't you just tell me?" she interrupted with a giggle, taking a bite out of her impromptu dinner and rolling it around in her mouth for a moment. Garfield beamed.

"Raven!" Terra stopped chewing her food and froze. "Remember Raven? From the Teen Titans? She walked right into the coffee shop I was in today! Like, totally by chance! What's the word for that? Serendipity?" Terra cautiously swallowed the remains in her mouth and slowly set the sandwich back on the table, an unknown glint in her deep azure eyes. She charily laced her fingers together and leaned across the countertop, balancing her weight on her forearms.

"Raven? Really? That's interesting." Her tone was cold and practiced but, ever the oblivious one, Garfield didn't catch it.

"You do remember her!" She shrugged carelessly, closing her eyes.

"It's hard to forget someone who can't blink without causing half of Detroit to blow up. And she said _I_ was unstable."

"Ter, that's not cool." Garfield replied with a frown. "Rae's an old friend. I know you two didn't really ever see eye to eye, but really, don't be childish." Terra sighed and glanced down, feigning shame.

"I know, I'm sorry. I guess it's just that spike of leftover teenage hormones. "She flashed a grin dazzling enough to blind a Seeing Eye dog. "So, what else did you do today, honey?" Her voice was dripping with manufactured perkiness and her husband nervously began drawing circles on the marble countertop with the tip of his finger.

"Actually...I spent the whole day with her..." He didn't want to look up for fear of being torn to ribbons by the daggers being fired by her eyes. Terra tensed, her smile suddenly extremely forced and taking on a creepy quality, like the cardboard clown at the entrance of a house of mirrors indicating how tall you had to be in order to enter.

"The...whole day? With Raven? What did you do exactly? Discuss how the world would inevitably meet its end in a torrent of fire and brimstone as you slit your wrists?" She wasn't even trying to mask the calculated malice that darkened her voice. Garfield was shocked by this behavior and actually glared, but feeling it was too cruel, he drew back.

"Terra, that's totally unfair. You're acting like a jealous ex girlfriend, and it's not becoming. What's up with you?" She subconsciously began fiddling with the knife on the table, not looking up at him.

"Oh, excuse me. Heaven forbid I'm a bit perturbed by the fact that _my_ husband spent an entire afternoon cavorting with his old flame. My bad." She was bubbling with sarcasm, and started cutting her sandwich into small pieces. Garfield's eyes went wide, partially from the precision Terra's angry swipes on the white bread, but mostly from disbelief of what she said.

"Old flame? What are you _talking_ about! Raven and I were never involved! I already told you, she's just a friend!"

"Oh sure, you say that now." Her voice was gradually increasing in pitch and her stabs at her meal were becoming more frenzied. "You say that now, because you know that I will never know whatever happened between you two before I joined the team!" She grunted ferociously and speared the knife into the center of the largest piece of her dinner, and the utensil shivered with the force.

Garfield stared at her for a long time, his bright emerald eyes narrowed in fury. After a pause, he took a slow, deep breath through his nose. "I'm going to leave before this gets any uglier. Good night." With that he turned and strolled briskly out of the kitchen and into the bedroom, letting the door slam shut behind him.

Terra watched the door for an eternity, and then sighed, combing her fingers through the roots of her hair. That probably was a little over the top, she admitted, maybe a bit overdone. Then again, her performance wasn't entirely acted. Partially she was a little peeved by the sudden resurgence of the lilac haired empath. It was true Terra had always harbored a distinct distain for the woman, and the thought of Garfield spending any amount of time with her made her skin crawl.

Still, she was a bit pleased in how well this played in her favor. She could keep up the charade of the jealous, over-protective wife to steer him off the path. Raven's appearance couldn't have come at a better time. The blonde had been using the "board meeting" line one time too many. So that's what she would do, pretend to care that her husband was meeting with this "old friend" when in actuality she really didn't give a damn. She nodded and smirked, impressed by her own plan.

Terra glanced down at the massacre of purple and brown splotched haphazardly around the plate and the smears of dyed bread now stuck to the countertop. She groaned, thinking of having to clean it up, and decided it would be wise to invest in a punching bag.

-

The next morning Garfield woke up twisted in an awkward position after a fitful night. He'd only slept in spurts, and so he was still exhausted when he finally awoke. He attempted sitting up, but his back was knotted in at least six different places. He groaned, realizing he was going to be sore for a good chunk of the day, and rolled onto his stomach. He wearily stole a glance to the side at the blaring neon green alarm clock. 10:45. Splendid. He'd slept in.

Yawning, he tilted his body to face the direction of the clock when a small folded piece of white paper caught his eye. With much effort, he slung his arm out to the side, let his hand land on top of it, and slowly dragged it back to him. It was only folded over once, so he opened it to find the loopy, neat handwriting of his wife. She always did have great penmanship.

_Garfield,_

_I really hope that we're ok after last night. The last thing I'd ever want to do is upset you. I would have loved to have spent today with you, but unfortunately I got called to a conference last minute. I won't be staying the whole time, but it's a possibility that I'll stay overnight. If not I'll be in by ten the latest. I'll call you with an update._

_I love you._

_Terra._

She had sealed the letter with a kiss and her deep scarlet lipstick had left an impression of her lips on the paper. He smiled slightly out of the corner of his mouth and dropped the sheet to the floor. At least it was considerate of her to apologize. He moaned a little and finally sat up, scratched the back of his neck and shaking out his unruly green hair. Feeling too chilly to stand in the apartment clad only in his boxer shorts, yet feeling too lazy to cross to room and pick up his robe, he wrapped the warm cover around his body and approached the window. It was much cloudier than the day before, but so far it showed no signs of rain or snow. This was good, he didn't feel like sitting around doing nothing all day.

"But what is there TO do?" he asked an invisible apparition outside the window. When he spoke his breath fogged up the glass, but it quickly dissipated and left a few wet streaking patterns. He growled and turned, running a few activities through his head, when he tripped over something on the floor. He cursed loudly at whatever had the audacity to make him stumble and flung the blanket off in a fit of anger. He quickly realized this was a bad idea, considering it was freezing, and he crotched to the floor to retrieve it. As he sat crouched over on the frigid wooden floor, muttering empty threats to inanimate objects, he recovered what had knocked him over. It was his jeans, which had been carelessly tossed to the side last night in his blind frenzy to get them off and get to bed.

"I guess I should pick these up...or something." Garfield thought, and he snatched one of the legs and stood up. As he walked towards the hamper on the opposite side of the room to drop off his dirty pants, he noticed a small piece of paper flutter out of one of the pockets. Curious, he abandoned the clothes and picked it up.

It was Raven's number and address from the night before. Garfield sighed in relief that Terra did not find this herself, lest she have another meltdown. He bit the inside of his cheek, flipping the card around thoughtfully between his fingers. Was it too soon to call? Would he sound too desperate? Well...he did say he wanted something to do...

"...And she DID say to call anytime..." Before he could change his mind, Garfield flew to the phone and carefully punched in the numbers on the paper. He nervously twirled the curly cord, and when the other end picked up the receiver he gasped in excitement.

"Hello? Raven? It's Gar."

-

"I still can't BELIEVE you did that! Even after all these years, it's still a huge shock!"

It was the afternoon. The sky had cleared up considerably, but the temperature had since dropped so far that it was a shock to see anyone outdoors. The pair walking along the pier either didn't notice or didn't mind and continued laughing, their breaths creating giant balls of white icy frost before them.

Raven's hair was swept back in a loose braid and the two stray strands that framed her face kept flickering into her bright amethyst eyes. She pulled a gloved hand out of her coat pocket to brush it back into place and smiled.

"You did want me to be referee. And I thought playing would be a good way to take out my aggression, considering what I had just been through."

Garfield beamed underneath his childish furry red hat. "Even still, the thought of Raven, the princess of darkness, playing Stankball is pretty funny. Especially since you kicked our asses! Man, Victor cried for a week." He rubbed his bare fingers together inside the front pocket of his hooded sweatshirt, hunching his shoulders reflexively. They had reached the end of the dock and the wind was drastically whipping back and forth over the choppy bay water. Raven leaned against the guardrail, squinting as she stared out across the vicious waves to the old carnival grounds. Since it wasn't the appropriate season, all of the rides had been disassembled and stored away until the lazy days of summer returned, but all of the game booths remained in tact.

"Hey, do you remember when you won me the prize chicken at the fair?" Garfield beamed and hopped up onto the railing to sit, now facing her and holding his hands on the steel bar on either side of him to keep his balance.

"Of course. That was the night Kory's sister made an appearance. What did you ever do with that thing anyway?"

"...You don't wanna know."

He laughed, suddenly losing his balance and swaying dangerously on the rail, an inch away from tumbling backwards into the frigid water beneath him. Without thinking, Raven hurled her arms around his neck and pulled him tightly to her own body. His arms instinctively slung around her slender waist as he slipped off the rail and back onto the plywood dock. Forehead to forehead, they stood panting in exhilaration, from the excitement of near death and with the subconscious knowledge that they were doing something that they knew was very wrong.

After several long moments of simply staring at each other, Garfield composed himself and cleared his throat awkwardly. Raven seemed to snap back and instantly released him as he released her, both blushing like mad for the sheer embarrassment. (Or so they both claimed.)

"I...Uh...thanks. For that." Garfield mumbled, toying with the string of his sweatshirt.

His gratefulness had nothing to do with saving him.

Raven was staring at her feet, shifting her weight back and forth. "Don't mention it." she meekly replied. They stood there in uncomfortable silence refusing to look at each other for nearly an eternity, before Garfield finally clapped his hands together and grinned.

"You know what? I think I have the perfect way to make this little trip down memory lane even better. As the Spanish say, suivre moi!"

Raven shook her head at his air headedness, but smiled slightly and followed him excitedly to the wharf and into a small, abandoned row boat.

-

Not much had changed about Titan Tower since they left it.

Of course some local kids found it amusing to throw rocks at the forsaken home and because of that several windows were cracked or missing all together. And of course said kids' older siblings found it amusing to spray paint dirty, gritty lingo in bright extravagant colors all long the sides, ranging from the simple "MR LOVES TH" to an elaborate picture of a topless woman.

This didn't matter though, because despite the broken down appearance, Titan Tower was still, and always would be, home.

Raven stepped onto shore, staring upward at the enormous T in awe. "Wow. I...can't believe it." she said breathily. Garfield pulled the boat onto the beach and joined her in admiring their former house, mouth agape.

"Yeah. I know. Heh, even after all this time...I can't believe its still standing."

"You'd think the city would have torn it down by now." Garfield shrugged.

"Maybe it's some weird, twisted homage to us. Or maybe they just didn't have the heart."

"Or the funding." Raven, still gazing up at the old building, started to follow the rocky, weather beaten path that led to the front door. About halfway up she turned to face her companion, watching him expectantly. "Coming?"

Garfield, shaken out of his revelries, gasped and nodded violently and clambered up hastily to join her. They reached the door at the same time and Garfield, panting slightly, placed a hand to his chin pensively, his brow knitted as he thought.

"If my memory serves me, Vic left the security systems up on the ground level entrances to keep trespassers out. I can probably hot wire it and pull down the shield, but it'd only last for a second or two, so we'd have to move quick..." At that point, Raven tilted her shoulder down and slammed it into the door with a loud grunt, causing it to fly off the hinges and slide out of sight into the living room. Garfield stared wide eyed at the empty door frame as his pointed index finger withered back into his hand. "Or that. We can do that too."

Raven giggled and walked inside, removing her coat and folding it over her arm once the warmth of the room washed over her. Garfield followed suit, stuffing his hat into the pocket of his jeans and rubbing together his frozen fingers. "I'm surprised the heat works in here. You'd think they'd shut it down." he stated half to himself and half to Raven, but the girl was not listening. She was standing in the middle of the living room, eyes sparkling with wonder as she gazed at everything and anything that crossed her path. She slowly ambled to the bookcase, which still loomed over her tiny form. She delicately ran her finger over the bindings, smiling to herself as she recalled each of their individual tales. This provoked a small cloud of dust that fluttered in the air for a moment before dissipating completely. She haphazardly pulled one out and began leafing through the pages.

"I was the only one who ever read any of these." Her voice was sweet and tender, like she was placating a young child. Garfield strolled over to where she stood, propping his chin on her shoulder to peer over.

"I dunno, I think Kory may have read the encyclopedias a couple of times." Raven's back stiffened, and her leg tensed again. Garfield raised an eyebrow, confused, before he realized he was causing this frightened behavior. He leapt off of her, nearly stumbling over the coffee table, and awkwardly grabbed his elbow. "Sorry. I'm really sorry."

Raven's head was down, but he could see the tips of her cheeks flaring bright red like wild fire. "It's fine. You...forgot." He cocked his head quizzically. Exactly what had he forgotten?

She glanced up with only her eyes, a stray strand of lilac hair falling into view. "Let's see what else is around." She disappeared down the main corridor with Garfield in tow.

-

The pair had already seen the kitchen, the training room, and the old garage where Victor's unfinished gadgets still laid lonely. Currently they were walking upstairs, when Garfield stopped abruptly and snagged Raven's arm.

"Rae! Check it out!" He pointed beaming at the door, which still bore the dusty inscription of his former name. "My old room! Oh man, we gotta go in here!" Before she could agree or disagree, the door flew open and she found herself dragged inside. The room was in shambles; the bunk beds had toppled over and the sheets were spilling off onto the floor. The closet was pouring out items of all varieties and several empty pizza boxes still remained stacked in the corner. Raven blinked, taking it in.

"Looks like someone broke in here."

"Nah, it's exactly how I left it! Perfect!" Raven hid a smile as Garfield eagerly began sifting through things. "Man, the memories in here are crazy! And everything is in the exact spot where I left it! Like...like time froze here or something." The goofy, boyish grin hadn't fled his face once. "Just like old times." He suddenly paused, squinting at something behind the empath. His head leaned to one side as an eyebrow lifted. "Wait." he said, slowly walking towards her. "I don't remember that light switch ever being there. Raven, can you hit that for me?"

She did as she was instructed, and the moment the switch flipped up an immense disco ball dropped from the ceiling, spinning majestically as its rays of colorful light danced around the room. The sounds of Al Green's classic_ "Let's Get it On." _wafted through the air. Garfield's jaw dropped, and then he folded his arms firmly across his chest, miffed. "Great. Just great. My room has become the make-out central for the youth of Jump City. That's just great, way to honor me, kids! Defile my room!"

Raven clamped a pale hand to her mouth to repress a laugh and turned the switch off, stepping towards the door and out of the room. "C'mon. There's still one more place we have to see." Garfield had not fully gotten over the fact that out of 30 rooms the tower held, HIS had specifically become the one to have sex in, but he followed the woman, intrigued.

"Why? Where are we going?" Raven halted unexpectedly and glanced over her shoulder at her green friend with a sly grin.

"_MY _room."

And the door opened with a gust of air and dust, the room still crawling with darkness. Raven entered without a second thought, but Garfield hesitated, lingering in the doorframe.

"I...er...am I allowed in? Like, nothing will eat me, right?" A scoff from within voiced his answer, and he reluctantly stepped inside. Unlike his room, there was very little left in Raven's, save for a few empty bookshelves and the forlorn naked bed pushed into the corner. There was a trunk underneath the window, the lock broken and deteriorating on the floor. Garfield eyed everything one last time, before waltzing to the chest and, with a great heave, pushed it open. As Raven played with a crystal mobile in the corner, Garfield started to pilfer whatever he could.

"Hey Rae, how come you left this here?" She turned, her braid swinging with her, and lifted her eyebrows questioningly. She brought a hand to her mouth pensively and let her head gradually slide into her open palm.

"I don't know. I thought I would have taken that. What's in it?" She replied as she approached him, squatting beside him and peeking inside the box. Garfield showed her each item as he found it.

"Oh you know, some generic stuff...couple of spell books, few sticks of burnt out incense, some ripped pieces of your old uniform-hey! Check this out!" He leaned in and blew a might breath of air, stirring the musty stench up and causing the two to start coughing furiously. When the dust settled (and Raven stopped glaring) Garfield held up a single photograph, faded with time and crinkled along the edges. It was taken a very long time ago, long before any of them even knew who Terra was. Victor was in the center, grinning stupidly and flashing a peace sign. He had hoisted a much smaller Richard up onto his shoulders, and Kory had platonically flung her arms around the leader's neck as she floated above him. His cheeks beneath his trademark mask were scarlet as she adorably held a hand to her mouth, giggling.

Raven and Garfield were another story. They were on the opposite side of Victor and seemed to have forgotten the camera was there. Raven was dead set against the photo and had defiantly crossed her arms, refusing to look at the lens. Garfield wouldn't have that, and so he snuck up behind the goth and had yanked down her hood in one swift motion and snaked other arm around her slender waist to keep her in place. The picture captured that perfect moment of Raven's look of complete and total shock and Garfield's mischievous smirk as he reveled in his accomplishment.

Raven couldn't help but smile as she tenderly took the photograph from him. "Oh, wow..." she murmured, smoothing out one of the bent corners with her thumb. Garfield inched in to look, aware of how close he was allowed to get.

"We look so young." He paused. "I can't believe you had this. I thought you didn't care about us then." She glimpsed up, her mystifying violet eyes shimmering.

"Just because I didn't talk to you never meant I didn't care." He returned her soft smile and gentle gaze for a moment before slapping his knees and rising.

"We should go soon...But hey! We can't leave here without seeing the view from the roof! It'll be gorgeous at this time of day! Let's go!" He whipped his fuzzy winter hat out from his pocket and excitedly scrambled for the staircase on the other end of the hall.

Raven remained for a moment, holding the precious photograph like a prized jewel. The whole time she had been staring at it, her eyes had not torn away from the image of herself and Garfield. Not once.

"RAVEN! YOU COMING!"

She shouted a reply and glanced down again. Stealing a furtive peep backwards, she delicately slid the picture into the back pocket of her jeans and raced outside, pulling her coat on as she went.

-

Walking onto the roof was like walking through the arctic in a Speedo. The temperature had significantly dropped since they had been outside, and being at such a high altitude with the furious island winds hurling every which way didn't help either. Raven cautiously approached the edge, where Garfield was peering down at the rocky shore hundreds of feet below, his hands stuffed deep within his pockets. His ears perked up slightly when she was about a foot or so away from him and he spoke to her without glancing back.

"I was hoping it would have been clearer, maybe we could have watched the sunset." She walked up and stood beside him, her arms holding in as much warmth as they could.

"I never saw the purpose of watching sunsets. It's just a sky, the thing is there every day. I like his better. It's more realistic." Garfield tore his eyes away from the tumbling grey clouds above and shifted his gaze over to her.

"What do you mean?" The pale beauty gathered her coattails beneath her and sat down, her arms wrapped around her shapely legs and her chin perched pensively on her knees.

"Well...sunsets are always bright and beautiful...and for a while they make people forget about everything ugly about what's coming next- the darkness of night. They make people ignore that the light is only temporary and soon enough they'll be blinded by the blackness. Darkness is a very powerful thing; people can be consumed by it before anyone, even themselves, can recognize it. But once it's gotten a hold of you, you can never get away, and it's only a matter of time before you embrace it...and you're not the same person you once were. So you put up a glittering front and hope no one sees you dying slowly from within."

He was silent for a long time, completely captivated by her. She sighed and brushed a wisp of hair out of her face. "My ramblings. Sorry."

"Don't be." he replied softly, sitting beside her while still gazing at her, spellbound. "That was...fascinating. I've never though of it like that." He smiled. "I've always found you fascinating, Rae. You were always so...so...what's that word when you talk really good?"

"Articulate?" she asked with a slight laugh.

"Yeah! That's it! You always knew exactly what you wanted to say and you said it so well. I've always admired that about you." She blushed modestly and Garfield chucked a little to himself and leaned back, casting his eyes up to the melancholy sky. "You know Raven, it's kinda funny-" He paused when he realized what he was about to say and bit his tongue, but he was too late. He had already caught Raven's attention and she was eager to hear the rest of his tale.

"What's funny?" Garfield fiddled with the zipper on his jeans, refusing to look at her.

"Nothing. Forget I said anything."

"No, now I need to know." He could feel her eyes slicing through him and he sheepishly chewed on his lower lip.

"You'll think I'm dumb."

"Garfield." Her tone commanded him to glance up, but her eyes were soft and caring and seemed to radiate with a tender glow of reassurance. "I promise I won't make fun of you. Now can you please tell me?"

He sighed, defeated, and rolled his head around his shoulders. "Alright, you win." He shot her a goofy, idiotic grin. "I was just thinking...I mean, since we're taking this walk down memory lane...I thought I should tell you..."

"Yes?" He heard the slight tinge of vexation in her voice and thought it best not to taunt her anymore.

"Heh, I was just gonna say, when we were kids, I had the biggest crush on you."

Her eyes seemed to explode with happiness and bewilderment and shock and delight all in the same moment.

"Really?" she asked, thinly veiling the amusement in her voice. He nodded.

"Yeah. You never knew?" She shook her head, trying in vain to mask her smile.

"No, not a clue. When was this?" Garfield scooted in closer, comforted in the fact that this conversation hadn't murdered their lovely day.

"Er...I first though you were insanely hot when I first met you. I think I realized I liked you a year of so later." She hadn't stopped glowing this entire time. "You NEVER knew? No? Man, I thought I was so obvious; all the attention I gave you, I was fawning over everything you did." The sheen she seemed to possess suddenly flickered and died.

"Well...I always thought you were just being annoying. Besides, you never gave me the attention you gave Terra. THAT was obvious." Her eyes looked distant and her tone was nearly silent. Garfield blinked with the sudden realization that the woman's name had not gone through his mind in hours.

"Yeah...then Terra came along and..."

"And you forgot about me." He raised an eyebrow at her curious behavior.

"I never forgot about you Rae. I just...forgot about those feelings because...because..."

"Because Terra was able to love you back."

He breathed in deeply, staring down at the waves crashing on the rocks below. "Yeah. Yeah that's why." He noticed Raven's breathing had suddenly become irregular and he shifted in closer. "I didn't mean to make you upset, Raven. I-I just thought you'd think that was funny...please don't be upset."

"I'm not upset." She was lying and he knew it. He hated seeing her like this, and what was worse that he made her feel that way. He'd always felt protective over Raven for some reason, and seeing her sad made him sad too. He thought he wouldn't breathe until she laughed again. She offered a small false smile. "Why would I be upset about something as trivial as this? All it was was a silly childhood infatuation, nothing more."

"Yeah...but the thing about that is..." What? Wait, what? He was talking? Why was he talking? Where were the words coming from? Despite his own shock he continued. "It wasn't just an infatuation, Raven. I was crazy about you." _Shut up. Shut up now, you idiot. _"I was willing to do anything for you." _You're still TALKING. How hard is it to shut your mouth!_ She was mesmerized now, anxious to see where he was going with this. To be honest, he was curious too.

"And also...I...I think..." The words were spilling out of him unwillingly, and in spite of his brain's loud protests his heart refused to release the reigns. "I...I don't think it ended when I stopped being a child."

Oh. Shit.

What the hell had he just said! Did he just do what he thought he did? Though inside he was a torrent of fear and embarrassment, he held his serious expression and hadn't moved from his spot beside her. Raven's eyes were wide in bewilderment and her eyebrows had practically crashed into her hairline, her mouth agape.

"Garfield..."

"Wait, let me finish." He knew what was going on. The reasonable thing to do would be to apologize and walk away or move to another topic.

But he didn't want to be reasonable.

He WANTED to do this.

He NEEDED to do this.

"Raven...spending all this time with you has only made me realize that I've never forgotten. What it's done is heighten the fact that I'm still head over heals and completely in lo-"

"No." Her voice was quivering and her lower lip trembled. Confused, Garfield opened his mouth to object but all she did was hold a hand to it. "Stop it. Stop it right now. I don't want to hear another word." She lowered her hand and he narrowed his eyes slightly, dazzled by the entire situation.

"But-"

"No. Garfield, stop this right now." She sounded angry, yet just as scared as he was. She began to inch away from him but that only made him pursue her.

"Why can't I say it?"

"Because you don't mean it."

"Yes I do."

"NO. You DON'T." She had drawn her knees up closer and cupped her arms around her ears, locking her fingers behind her neck. Her eyes were squeezed shut as if trying to block out the entire world.

"But Raven please...I have to say it..."

"NO you can't say it! You can never say it!" She was practically shrieking but still remained in her huddled ball of shelter.

"Why not!" He screamed back, suddenly just as angry as she was.

"**Because all it will make me do is remember how I have been hopelessly in love with you since I was fourteen!"**

There was silence between them. Only the howling whistles of the wind and Raven's shaking, shallow breathing were the sounds that were heard. As abundant and willing to appear his words were before they all seemed to flee from him and he couldn't say a thing. He watched her heave for air with unbelieving eyes as she subconsciously gripped the edge for balance. After an excruciatingly long pause, he cautiously drew a breath and braved a statement.

"...Have been?"

It was almost amusing how fast her eyes shot open.

"That's not what I said."

"As in, still are?"

"That's not what I said!"

She flung herself up and tried to run away from him, her head buried in the palms of her hands. He only rose just as quickly and went after her.

"Yes you did! You said have!"

"I said **had**!"

"You said _have been_! That means you still-"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID!" She whirled on him and her voice boomed from her small body, causing Garfield to stumble backwards. The entire tower suddenly glowed an eerie shade of black and lurched dangerously to one side. Garfield screamed and fought to gain balance as Raven whimpered and muttered her mantra methodically to herself, fighting to gain control. After the darkness had slinked its way back into the jewel on her forehead, she still continued to mumble to herself.

Cautiously, Garfield moved towards her and after a moment's hesitation, he slinked his arms around her slender form. She didn't object and instead dropped her own arms to the side, nuzzling her head into his chest. She was shivering, and he was certain it was not longer from the cold.

"Raven." He whispered, so softly it was almost unheard. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" She whimpered meekly and reluctantly slid her hands up his back until she held him in a tight embrace.

"I-I couldn't be your silver medal. You never lit up for me the way you did for her. There was no point. And then when she was resurrected...I knew I had to stop. But I couldn't. I never stopped. There hasn't been a day since then that I haven't thought of you."

He affectionately stroked her hair and smiled into the top of her head. "So...we're young...and still in love. Now what?" He thought he heard her half laugh as she rubbed her cheek deeper into his shoulder.

"I don't know. Do you?"

He sighed and began twisting the ends of her braid around his finger. Her hair was so much nicer than Terra's.

Then it hit him.

He couldn't do this. It was wrong. It was against everything he stood for. An enormous wave of guilt flooded over him and all he could do was stare forward blankly as his grip on Raven gradually grew looser. She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Garfield?" He held her out at arms length, though it killed him to see her eyes flash with sadness as he did.

"Raven, we can't. We can't do this. I-I made a vow to love, honor, and cherish Terra. I...I have to keep that vow."

It's an interesting thing to watch when a person's entire world demolishes right before your eyes.

Her pupils were so small he could barely recognize them and they both seemed to be trembling. Her lip quivered, and she greatly swallowed several time. She closed her eyes, still shaking, and let her chin drop to her neck. Despite how much it hurt her, he had to press on.

"I know...but...I can't be unfaithful to Terra. I-I love her." He wasn't entirely sure why he had hesitated when he said that, but he was certain it wasn't for fear of hurting her more.

"But...But you said..."

"I know, I know." He absolutely hated her voice when it was like that; she sounded like a wounded dog limping weakly through the rain. He released her and she compensated by hugging herself tightly. The inundation of words returned to him, though this time they were utterly meaningless.

"I know what I said, Raven. But...But it wasn't..." He couldn't stop himself from pausing, and he couldn't bring himself to gaze into her broken, tear-stained eyes. "It wasn't...true, Raven."

_You're killing her. Do you realize that? Please, just stop talking. Stop hurting her._

His heart was speaking that time, but now his brain refused to obey.

"You were...right. It was just a childhood infatuation. I guess I confused the feelings and I only thought that I...you know. We're just very, very good friends, and nothing else." She released a soft, pained mew and dug her nails into her arms. He hated doing this, he was tearing her to shreds but he couldn't stop. Why wouldn't his mouth stop moving?

"I-I don't love you, Raven. I love Terra."

Lies. All lies.

The silence was deafening. Even the wind had ceased its lamentation to listen to the girl's.

"But...But you said...you loved me."

He could feel his heart break at those words. How _selfish_ he was. How cruel, how deceitful to be telling her these fabrications to convince himself they were all true.

He looked up finally, and immediately regretted it. She had drawn her shoulders up like a frightened turtle and attempted to shroud her face with the two strands of hair that grazed her cheeks. Serene, silver streaks caressed her delicate pale skin and mournfully dripped off her chin to the ground as she gasped for air.

Oh God.

She was _crying_.

Her indigo eyes shot open, now dull and drained of all their electricity. They were like two lilac mirrors that had fallen from the top of the bureau and shattered into thousands of unfixable pieces. All the glue in the world couldn't repair those broken shards of eyes. He'd done the worst thing he could do. He took her hope away. All those years of wishing on that weak but glimmering star were gone. He had only proved that the majority of her intuition was correct, and she would never be with him.

"Raven..." He whispered, taking a step towards her.

"I should go." Her voice had broken too, and she had to speak in a hushed whimper to hide the cracks. Before he could think, the jewel on her forehead blazed bright red and she unfurled graceful, elegant black wings from her huddled, devastated body. The head of a bird with four eerie crimson eyes appeared over her, and it shrieked frighteningly before enveloping her small form in its shining ebony feathers. Garfield realized too late what she was doing, and he screamed, diving at her feet. He wasn't fast enough, and the bird opened its wings to reveal that Raven had vanished in its power, and with another shriek it flapped furiously into the distance, trailed only by the sounds of weeping.

Garfield knew even if he transformed, he could never catch her. She would dissipate into the air itself, so he uselessly watched after her with his hand vainly trying to capture her escaping silhouette in its grasp. Long after she disappeared, he stood there, arms stretched out towards the horizon, hoping for something beautiful to emerge from the foreboding charcoal ice of the night.

-

Garfield spent a long time gawking at the key to his apartment. He had stuck it into the keyhole and had even used it to unlock the door, but he could not bring himself to move past the threshold. This was his home, wasn't it? He checked the number for the eighteenth time. Yes, this was his room. So why was he unable to enter? Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he sensed something wrong behind that pristine white door. Maybe he was just too tired.

Or maybe it was because that he had finally admitted that in the past five years, he had never felt more at home than when he was crouched over that old chest with Raven at his side.

He mentally slapped himself. This was stupid. The day was exhausting, it was late, and he just wanted to sleep. Yet no matter how hard he wanted to go inside, he simply couldn't do it.

Garfield bit his lower lip and kicked the door, letting it swing open. Before he could run away back to the Tower, he stepped inside and locked the door behind him. He haphazardly dropped his keys on the coffee table and made his way to the kitchen. Repressing a yawn and rubbing his eyes, he reached blindly for the wall in search of the light switch. He found it and light flooded into the room, exposing everything the room had to offer.

Including one very pissed off blonde sitting at the table.

He was taken aback by her sudden resurgence and nearly tripped over his own two feet. Her sapphire eyes were narrow and livid, and she eerily drummed her nails on the table top as a large section of her lusterless hair fell across the side of her face.

Drrrrrr. Drrrrrr. Drrrrrr.

"Where the HELL were you?" He was actually scared by her tone; it thirsted for blood and flesh. Preferably his.

"I...I thought you were staying overnight." he bumbled awkwardly through conversation. She remained unfazed and gradually rose from her seat and advanced on him.

"Well, my conference was shorter than I expected, and so I returned with the thought that I could spend some time with my caring husband, only to find he was _not here_. So I said to myself, 'Well, I guess he's out running some errands. He'll be back soon enough.' Of course what errand takes **_5 fucking hours_ to do!**"

They were toe to toe now and he shrunk back to her threats, holding up his hands for innocence. "What, you expected me to stay home all day waiting for you? Believe it or not, Terra, I tend to get very restless very easily. So I went OUT. Since when is that a problem?" His voice surprised him; it was brave and challenged her even more. Her eyes were reduced to slim slits of blue.

"You were with _Raven_ again, weren't you?" She was drawling mockingly and voiced the empath's name like an obscenity. Garfield felt something within him snap. How _dare_ she use Raven's name that way, like something evil. He found himself shouting, his nose pressed to hers.

"Why are you acting this way! Are you threatened by her! Are you jealous! Tell me what the hell is up your goddamn ass! Is this some double-standard I wasn't aware of where you can hang all over corporate executives but I can't SPEAK to anyone of the opposite sex!"

"That's different! That's _business_!"

"And this is friendship! In case your head was too far up your own ass to notice, I've known Raven a hell of a lot long than I have known you!"

Oh, that one stung. He could see his words pierce through her as her expression melded to one of pure pain. But a funny thing happened; he didn't regret it the way he had with Raven. He almost felt...satisfied.

Not wanting the conversation to carry out any further, Garfield turned curtly away from her and stomped angrily towards his room. All he wanted was sleep. Sleep would cure all his problems. He'd go to sleep and wake up without Terra nagging him and without a longing for Raven. He nearly made it to the door, when he heard the growl of vengeance.

"Are you having an affair with her?"

He stopped dead in his tracks. All he had given up, everything he had done for her today and yet she still accused him of being unfaithful. He whirled upon her with lightening speed, his lips curled and bearing his sharp razor fangs.

"How could you possibly say that? Where do you get off? You have no idea what I've done to stay committed to you, Terra. I wouldn't cheat on you anymore than you would cheat on me." He thought he saw a sadistic smile graze her lips, and he clenched his fists. He bellowed an unearthly animal cry and viciously punched the adjacent wall. In a flash he had vanished into his room, ignoring the plaster falling from the enormous hole he had left in the wall.

That night, despite how weary he was, Garfield couldn't bring himself to sleep. He watched the ceiling for a long time in hopes of something magical happening, but no such luck. Terra snored softly beside him. How they were even under the same roof, let alone in the same bed, was beyond him. He stole a glance sideways, eyeing her sleeping form up and down. He then held up his hand, analyzing every inch of the gold ring strangling his finger. This was what he wanted, this was his destiny. He loved Terra more than anything and he always would.

Right?

Garfield held out an arm to draw her into his chest, but before he even touched her she moaned quietly and rolled tersely onto her side and out of his reach. He bit his lip, slightly startled by this supposedly subconscious act. He sighed, and though he knew she didn't want it, he pushed his hand into the mattress to support his weight and gently came down, letting his lips plant a soft, innocent kiss on her cheek.

And he pretended she was Raven.

_Pff, yeah. Like I can make this chapter any long. Well I commend you all for getting this far, a cookie for you all! TUN, if you are reading this, I'm really sorry for putting it up before you got to beta it. I was just so anxious, and I know that's not really an excuse, but I hope you're not mad. _

_Well y'all know the schtick. Please leave reviews, I really, really appreciate them. Thanks a bunch!_


	4. Three

**Lonely people  
Tumble downward  
And my heart opens up to you  
When she says she has no time, for you now  
She says she has no time, for you now.  
She says she has no time.**

_Raven twirled a wisp of hair around her finger and tried to pin it back up into her elaborate bun with no luck. Twisting her mouth exasperatedly she scoffed and began to smooth out her beautiful rose bridesmaid dress. Currently she was sitting at her table, alone, picking at the remaining half of her chicken breast. (Garfield had protested loudly to this "slaughter" but promised to pipe down provided he was able to order whatever tofu meal he wanted, to which Dick and Kory begrudgingly agreed.) Victor had fulfilled his escorting duties and capered off to mingle among the many other guests, a hobby Raven was never too fond of. Dick and Kory were too preoccupied with each other to notice much else, and Garfield and Terra were tittering together at the other end of the guests of honor table. Raven growled slightly under her breath and began tracing the floral designs on the tablecloth with her finger. She really was starting to regret leaving her notebook in the hotel room..._

_In the center of the dance floor, Kory laughed as Dick nuzzled his cheek into her neck and squealed excitedly as he dipped her low, her glittering white gown spilling out all around her. Raven felt a very slight pang of jealousy and almost wished Victor hadn't abandoned her before the honorary 'first dance,' even though she had instructed him to do so._

_Garfield poked the green beans with his fork and strained to listen to Terra's chatter beside him. His eyes kept trailing to the empath's pouting figure opposite of him. He untangled his fingers from his girlfriend's and pushed his chair back to rise._

_"I think I'm gonna ask Raven to dance. Do you mind?" Her expression dropped through the floor and her brow knitted._

_"Why? Didn't she come in with Victor?" Garfield shrugged._

_"I haven't seen him around. I guess he musta followed that cocktail waitress back to the coatroom." He smirked slyly and Terra giggled. "But seriously, Ter, look at her. I just want to show her a good time, eh?" He crouched down so he was eye level with her and he rested his arms on her crossed legs. "Listen, you know you're the one for me. Raven's one of my best friends, and I can't stand to see her all by her lonesome. But if it really bugs you, I can go find Vic instead."_

_Terra sighed and brushed her golden curls away from her face, offering a very slight smile. "I know, babe. I just get...that way sometimes, you know? Go ask her, I'll be waiting when you get back." Garfield beamed and rose, confidently strolling across the room to where the oblivious empath was sulking._

_"Hey Beautiful. What's a fine thang like you doin here all by your pretty self?" He spoke in the slimiest, sleaziest, most vile voice he could muster, and when Raven's eyes shot up equipped with they're trademark deadly glint, he didn't miss a beat and wiggled his thick eyebrows suggestively. Raven scoffed and leaned back into her chair, folding her arms over her chest and biting back a smile._

_"You were about four seconds away from being flung through a wall." Garfield gulped mockingly and tugged on his collar._

_"Good thing I'm not a scum-bag then, huh?" He hopped up to sit on top of the table and helped himself to some of Raven's mashed potatoes. With his fingers. Raven gagged in disgust._

_"There's this crazy new thing going around. It's new, but I think it will hit it big. It's called a FORK." Garfield stuck out his tongue and picked up her silverware and began expertly balancing it on the back of his hand._

_"Aw, fork you, Rae." She glared again, this one less intense than the other._

_"Is there a reason why you are here?"_

_"Other than to spread my love and charm to all corners of the world? Why yes." Garfield jumped down and walked around the table so he was on the same side as Raven. He straightened his bowtie and regally extended his hand to her. "I wish for you to do the honor of accompanying me in a dance." He said in his most upper-class tone. Raven's eyebrows flickered up and she blinked, her cheeks tinting a very faint shade of pink._

_"I don't dance. Besides, you've got your pretty little Barbie to play with over there." She pointed her nose in the air haughtily and turned away, set in her position. Garfield faltered for a moment but recollected himself and sidestepped her so he was face to face with her._

_"One- I'm ignoring that shot at Terra. Two- Oh, C'MON!" Another icy stare but he was not dissuaded. "You know you want to. It's fun! Do it for Dick and Kory! It's only once!...I've got about a million more of these harebrain reasons, and I can make each one sound even more annoying than the last." She cocked her head to one side and lifted her eyebrows._

_"No." She said with a perfect deadpan. Garfield shrugged._

_"You asked for it." He inhaled deeply and released a whine high enough to drive a dog crazy. "PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-"_

_"ALRIGHT! FINE! SHUT UP!" She clapped her hands over her ears and started kicking at the ground to rid herself of the sound. An arrogant grin spread across Garfield's face as he took her small hand in his and led her to the dance floor._

_"Now was that so hard? Really? And isn't it our luck, a song is just starting."_

_"I can hardly contain my joy." She monotonously mumbled, her feet stubbornly shuffling across the floor. She was caught off guard as Garfield gave her a spin, letting her gorgeous blush gown billow out around her before he pressed his body into hers and let free his hand slide down to her waist. She awkwardly placed her hand on his shoulder as he laced his fingers with hers and led her in a slight waltz. She discretely tried to pull herself away from him to leave some space between the two, but he just laughed and held her in tighter._

_"Oh come on, Raven. We're not twelve." He then winced as Raven's clumsy high heels crushed his foot. She bit her lower lip apologetically._

_"Er...Sorry. This isn't really my thing, I'm not very...you know, good. At all." Garfield forced a pained smile._

_"No, it's fine. They say you don't really need toes, anyway."_

_"This is stupid, I'm getting Terra. She KNOWS what to do." Raven attempted to move, but found herself firmly planted against Garfield's chest._

_"Uh-uh. I've got Terra all night. You, missy, are staying right here." She rolled her eyes playfully and sighed melodramatically._

_"If you insist." She let a smile creep up her lips as Garfield simply smiled down at her, his grip around her slender form subconsciously getting tighter. He smiled lopsidedly._

_"You know what's really sad?"_

_"What?"_

_"I know all the words to this song." Her eyes shrunk in pure horror._

_"Don't-"_

_"I'm gonna..."_

_"You-"_

_"I'm gonna do it!"_

_"Dare!-" But it was too late, Garfield created a pretend romantic expression and began crooning softly to Raven._

_"Some say love, it is a river, that drowns the tender reed."_

_"I'm not even going to look at you."_

_"Some say love, it is a razor, that leaves your soul to bleed."_

_"Must you make this worse than it already is?" His eyes sparkled mischievously as a wry, snerky sneer crawled across his face._

_"Oh, I can make it worse. SOME SAY LOOOOVE IT IIIIS A HUNGEEEER, AN ENDLESSSSS ACHINNNNG NEEEEED!" He purposely strayed horrendously off-key and belted the tune loud enough to wake the dead. He'd also taken the liberty to violently swing Raven back and forth with every other word, provoking several stares from the other patrons. He opened his mouth to draw another breath and begin the next line, but Raven had quickly clamped her hand down across his chin to stop the sound. He looked appalled, and she smiled triumphantly._

_"There, that should shut you up." No sooner had she said that, she felt a wet, slimy object drag itself across her palm. Her expression morphed to one of disgust, and she shrieked and flung her arm backwards, shaking the residue off her hand. "UGH! How OLD are you!"_

_Beast Boy was grinning cheekily, his tongue still poking out from between his teeth. He took her hand in his again and waggled his eyebrows. "Oh, come on, Raven. You know you love me." She didn't respond, but instead buried her head in his shoulder as she shook from fits of laughter._

_Across the room, Terra had been watching the two the entire time with glazed eyes. It was peculiar, the feeling that stirred within her as she watched them. It was no secret that she and Raven never saw eye to eye. In fact, from the moment the blonde had been freed from her stone prison, tensions between the girls mounted so high that they could no longer remain in the same room. They had never formally made up for their little spat in the sewers. Since then, Raven's animosity for the girl had only grown and Terra retaliated with hatred of her own. In the back of her mind, the earth shifter knew that she was being childish whereas Raven's loathing was justified. It was so rare for the mystic to willingly give away her trust, and when the bond was shattered it was irreconcilable._

_From the moment the rock thrower joined the team, she knew that Raven was in love with Garfield. She could see the jealousy subtly take over whenever his affections shifted. She could hear the hints and implications behind each dry, sarcastic quip. She would watch, fascinated, as the remorse and sadness clouded over her rare violet eyes._

_She usually liked flaunting her relationship with the shape shifter just to mock her rival. Little things, mostly; grabbing hold of him whenever she entered the room, laughing a little too obnoxiously at each of his jokes, or the worst of all, addressing him as simply 'boyfriend.' They were small, yes, but it was all she needed to set Raven off. All too often something would accidentally crack or chip, unnoticed by everyone except the two of them- a defeat for one, a victory for the other._

_Garfield always caught on to these subtle battles and would often chide Terra, which only made her despise the lavender haired woman even more. Even if they were linked romantically, Terra and Garfield never seemed to have the same connection as Raven and Garfield. The pair was constantly playing off each other with witty, cute remarks whereas the couple's relationship merely consisted of meaningless flirting. Garfield was also the only one who was able to touch Raven physically without receiving a frightening look and other than Kory he was the only one she divulged her secrets to. It was enough to drive a girlfriend insane._

_Terra had been trying to delude herself for years now with lies that it was just an infatuation and she had nothing to worry about. When she realized that Raven's feelings would not vanish overnight, she tried to find a substitute for him. She once tried to convince Victor that he had been secretly lusting after the dark woman for years, but that didn't pan out. Eventually she ceased her efforts and instead resorted to polishing her golden award as she held it tantalizingly over the dark lady's head: Garfield didn't love Raven back._

_But, it was in this moment, this quiet minute of silent reflection that Terra realized she was wrong. How she managed to remain blind for this long was a mystery, but the truth had finally dawned on her. Tilting her head to the side and letting the flaxen, shimmering spirals cascade past her shoulder, she absently wondered if he knew as well. She narrowed her eyes at them, mistaken by others as an act of disdain but was merely utilized to get a better view of their features. They were both smiling serenely, until he jokingly slid his hand down her backside and she slapped it forcefully, readjusted it, and rebuked him for being sly. It was obvious._

_He didn't have a clue._

_Feeling the strong need for alcohol in her system, she reached for her champagne glass. Having previously drained it, she furtively looked around and snatched up her neighbor's drink and downed it in one shot. Now, while slightly inebriated, it would be much easier to see the brightside of the situation. Sure, the boy she was dating was unknowingly in love with her arch nemesis, but at least she still had her looks, right?_

_Her reflection in the silverware seemed to state otherwise._

_She grunted and dropped her chin into her palm, reassessing the problem. It really wasn't much of a loss. She had never wanted to admit to herself that she had only remained with Garfield to flaunt it over Raven. But now a new door seemed to open. She could break up, they could go out, and she would be free to date and dump and do as she pleased. Actually, it all seemed to be playing in her favor._

_She leaned back into her chair, helping herself to another's glass of champagne, and smiled._

_And from that moment on, Terra never loved Garfield again._

* * *

Garfield messily dropped the coins into the slot and stole a glance of the numbers scrawled on his palm. With one eye on the hand, he balanced the receiver between his ear and shoulder and cautiously dialed, careful not to make any mistakes because he was unsure of how much spare change was in his possession. The booth was filthy, covered in filth and obscene comments scribbled jokingly all over the walls. The sensible thing would have been to make the call from his own house, but with Terra on the prowl he simply couldn't take the risk. He rocked back on his heels, nervously coiling the cord around his fingers.

"C'mon...pick up pick up pick up..." he demanded softly as his nails danced along the ridges of the metal wire. He was very apprehensive and began walking the perimeter of the phone booth, bullying the curt rings on the other end of the line. The silence in between each chime seemed like an eternity, mocking him with its vociferous peace. Finally after about a year or so, he heard someone pickup and the faint sound of someone drawing a small breath of air to speak.

**"Hello, you've reached Raven."**

The statement seemed more declarative than interrogative, but the jaded boy was so relieved to hear her voice that he didn't care enough to notice. He began talking incredibly fast before she could figure out who he was and hang up.

"RAVEN its Garfield! I know you hate me right now but I really need to-"

**"I'm not here right now, but I should be later. If you don't know what to do after this...you're an idiot."**

He swore loudly, causing the booth to shake and the balloon of a young girl innocently passing by to burst. She broke into tears, opened the door, kicked Garfield in the shins, and ran off with dead threats of telling her mommy.

The ANSWERING MACHINE. What a blow. Garfield banging the phone against his forehead and groaned. With a sigh, he leaned against the glass and waited for the beep. He had to give this message to her, direct or not.

Seven blocks down, four streets over, and three floors up, Raven sat alone in her kitchen, swimming in an NYU sweatshirt with her head in her hands. She had been so miserable that the energy literally melted away from her, and instead of logically sprawling out on the couch, she couldn't will herself to even hover out of the uncomfortable wooden chair. A paperback was folded over in front of her, but she couldn't focus on what she was reading. She sat there staring off into space, wishing she'd never even liked tea in the first place.

When the phone rang, she didn't even bother with it and decided the machine would catch whoever called. If it was truly urgent, they'd leave a message. The caller coughed awkwardly and cleared their throat, delaying their inevitable speech.

**"Uh...Raven...this is Gar."**

She nearly toppled out of her chair at the sound. She rose, seething in silent fury. How DARE he have the nerve to call her, after he...Without a moment's hesitation, she flew across the room and extended her hand, her finger suspended just above the erase button. Before she could press it, he spoke again.

**"Look, I know you're probably listening to this right now with your hand over the delete button-"** She blinked in astonishment and stealthily glimpsed around her apartment for a potential hidden camera. **"But please...for a moment...hear me out."** He'd always know that her weak point was the childlike tone he adapted whenever he desired something, and so she resigned to him and folded her arms over her chest, expectantly staring at the device as if it were the boy himself.

**"Alright...this is going to be the hardest thing I've ever said. Bare with me, you really need to hear this."**

"Oh get on with it, twit." Raven muttered impatiently, dropping her chin into her open palm.

**"...Raven...I...I miss you...so much. I haven't seen you in hours and it feels like months."** Raven rolled her eyes. **"You need to know how much I care about you."**

"Bullshit."

**"I'm really a warped person, to honestly think that by ripping you apart I would be showing you that you mean everything to me. I-I don't know what I was thinking. You didn't deserve that. It was unfair of me to subject you to that. And...it was even more unfair...to lie to you."**

Raven raised an eyebrow and could slowly feel her acrimony dissolve as she leaned in closer and untangled her arms.

**"Yeah. I straight out LIED. Man, I don't know how that one got past you. I mean, come on- one minute I'm proclaiming my love for you and the next I'm denying it? God, I am stupid...I don't deserve to breathe the same air as you. I...I couldn't figure out where my priorities were. Sure, the order now is somewhere along the lines of 1. You. 2. You. 3. You. 4. Pie. 5. You...and the list goes on from there. But...there's...Terra..."**

Raven turned away and closed her eyes, quietly pacing around the room and massaging her temples.

**"Remember how I said I was stupid? Multiply that by about a million. How could I NOT realize that I don't love her! Really! This...this shit for five years was completely fake! Everything was a lie!"** His voice was gradually growing in sound and anger.** "Our relationship is built on a lie! She-She only wanted to be with me to spite you! And I KNEW that, but I stayed with her ANYWAY! Hell I married her! What the hell was I thinking!"**

He was panting, trying to regain his composure. Raven laced her fingers and pressed them against her cheek, eagerly awaiting his next word.

**"It should be easy. I don't like her, I date you. Duh. But...it's not that simple. I-I can't just abandon her like that. Sure, she's well provided for but...I vowed to be with her forever. For better or worse. And it's against everything I stand for to go back on that vow."** Raven felt her heart drop through the floor, and she swallowed the lumps multiplying in her throat.

**"I-I'm gonna have to work everything out with Terra. I can't just dump her like a sack of potatoes. I have to fix what I ruined, and this is at the forefront. Raven, I want you to listen to everything I'm saying right now, it's probably the most important thing I will ever tell you."** He paused, and she found herself gripping the machine as she waited for an answer.

**"Raven, I love you. I love you so much it actually hurts. If I could have my way, I'd spend every waking moment with you; I'd make your tea just how you like it and I'd meditate with you as much as you wanted and I'd buy you a truckload of that shampoo you use because it smells godly and the thought of it drives me crazy. But...I can't have my way. We can't ever be together because I've got this golden weight holding me down. I have to stay true to Terra, as much as I don't want to."**

Raven stopped breathing as her eyes glistened over, and her hand steadily moved to her lips and her shoulders fell.

**"I'm always going to love you, Rae. I'm just going to have to pretend I don't."** It was eons before he spoke again. **"We'll probably have to move, because I can't stand the thought of knowing where you are and not being there with you. Just...remember...every time you see me, whether through the papers or on the news or even in person- every single time I lovingly embrace Terra, I'm pretending she's you. Every time I kiss her quickly, I'm wishing I could be kissing you. And every time I con the world into thinking we're happier than the goddamn Brady Bunch, I'm dying...because I'm not with you."**

**"Anyway...I think you've had enough of my rambling. Man, this worse than a soap opera. You could sell my lines for big bucks, Rae-Rae. I wish I could say I'll talk to you later. I...I guess this is goodbye. I love you. I can't say that enough. I love you, I love you, I-"**

The machine suddenly beeped, signaling that he had run out of time and the rest of the call was lost. Raven was quiet for a long time, unsure of what she should do next. Her pulse was racing and her cheeks burned intensely. She was surprised to see her vision suddenly blur by an onslaught of tears, so she quickly blinked them away and slunk back into her old habit of repressing any sliver of emotion. She stared at the machine, almost asking it for advice. Once again, her hand floated out and her finger settled itself on the erase button, tracing the slight plastic protrusions that poked out of it. But, after a moment, instead of pressing it, her finger lifted up, and she hit 'save.'

* * *

Terra heaved, spewing everything within her out again. Her throat was blazing, her stomach was churning, and she had never felt more miserable in her life. She had used one hand to secure her hair and keep it out of her face and the other to balance her weight on the porcelain bowl. Her eyes were watering from the acid eating away the roof of her mouth, but she considered this a blessing because her lovely view of her own vomit was obscured slightly. She gagged and coughed and felt the disgusting substance slosh its way out of her mouth and splash into the water.

When she had finished, she sat back on her legs, staring at the ceiling and gasping for air. She reached up for a towel to dry her sweat-drenched face as she rolled the revolting taste around in her mouth. As she held the cool cloth to her face, Terra tried to figure out what was making her so sick. It was uncommon for her to catch colds and she hadn't eaten anything that would upset her. Suddenly, something lurched within her.

But it was far too low to be from her stomach.

Her pale azure eyes were as round as disks as she realized what was going on.

"Oh sh-" She tottered forward again and spat up her own self-loathing.

* * *

_Terra uneasily kicked at the frayed edge of the rug in the hotel hallway. She didn't understand why she was so tense. After all, it wouldn't be her first break up, and probably not the hardest either. Maybe it wasn't the brightest idea to dump him RIGHT after he watched his best friends get married. A week or so, perhaps but-_

_No, this had to be done now. Any more stalling and she'd end up never doing it. After all, there was no chemistry anymore, no thrilling spark. Neither of them loved each other (although only one knew this) so it was only logical for them to part ways. Still, maybe she should..._

_Too late, Garfield had already emerged from the bathroom, wiping his moist hands on the seat of his pants. He looked up and reeled back in astonishment, startled by her presence, but smiled sweetly and looped her arms around her slender waist._

_"Nice look." He chuckled, referring to her velour sweat suit and elaborate hair which, after a full night of dancing, she had been too tired to undue. She giggled and kissed him on the nose. "So what are you doing out here, babe? Waiting for me?"_

_She did her best to look cheery. "Something like that." He awed and spun her around, but set her back on the ground when she requested it._

_"What's going on?"_

_"I need to talk to you about something really important."_

_"Oh. Ok." He released her and led her to a small cushioned bench pushed up against the wall. Taking her hand in his, he said quietly, "Is everything alright?"_

_Terra took a breath- this was it. She braced herself for anything. She'd previously concluded that Garfield wouldn't cry, but might beg to stay with her. She decided she'd have to move into another room for the night since it would be too painful otherwise, and had even packed her things. She knew exactly what she wanted to say and had planned responses to what she suspected would be his reactions. The whole ordeal was a cool, calculated equation._

_"Well...sweetheart...sometimes people find each other, and against all odds manage to stay together in a loving, healthy relationship."_

_"Like us."_

_Perfect. He'd set her up in the best way possible. Now would be the point when she slowly reveals that they are not those people and gradually he would pick up that she had no interest in becoming one of them. The Hill Technique, she called it; bring them up only to pull them down. It was the most effective, albeit a little cruel. She smiled as cutely as she could; it was imperative to keep smiling so he wouldn't suspect too early that she was breaking up with him._

_"Well, actually..." Then instead of beginning her lecture riddled with overused clichés that everyone and their grandmother have used, she froze. She looked past Garfield's shoulder at Raven as she slowly ambled down the corridor, haphazardly plucking Bobbie pins out of her sophisticated do. Something clicked inside the blonde; if she let go of Garfield, then he could belong to Raven. A miniscule part of her squeaked that that was the whole point of dumping him, but she didn't bother to listen to it. The idea of those two together was painting itself across her mind. The sheer thought of Garfield and...that wretched woman, the person she despised more than anything in the world was enough to make her gag. She couldn't let Raven be that happy. If Raven was happy, Raven wins._

_Garfield's brow lifted and he gently shook her hand. "Ter? You there? Helllllo?"_

_Terra shook her thoughts away and blinked before plastering an insanely false smile on her face. Before she knew it she had aborted the plan and was letting her mouth do the work._

_"Yes, Gar. Just like us. And that's what I wanted to talk about. It might be the booze or just all this loving wedding...stuff...but I realized that...I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Garfield's eyes widened and his jaw dropped._

_"Terra." He whispered. "Are...are you saying you-"_

_"Yes. Yes, I want to marry you!" Garfield was glowing in excitement and he threw his arms around her, planting kisses along her neck and into her shimmering hair._

_"Oh, this is awesome! We have to tell everyone! I'm so happy, Terra, I'm so happy! Are you?"_

_Terra returned the hug with lackluster passion but held her gaze on Raven. The empath hadn't seen the whole event because she had engaged in a battle with her hairclip, but when she casually turned to visit the vending machine for a drink, she caught sight of the two. The lavender haired belle was immobile and watched them with wide, horrified eyes. Terra made eye contact with her, and in the most devious, sinister way, flashed her eyes in a way that simply said, 'I win.' That was all it took to make Raven dissipate into the wall._

_"Yes, Gar. I couldn't be happier."_

* * *

Despite how dark and dreadful his day had been, Garfield was suddenly overwhelmed by his boundless optimism.

He'd done all he could with Raven, the rest was in her hands. It was obvious that he would never be able to see her again, not after that 'Days of Our Lives' worthy schpeal he had left her. That, and he knew if they were ever to meet again it would be much more difficult to resist temptation.

He had spent the afternoon trying to put himself back in the mindset he was in at fifteen. What had struck him so appealing about Terra? What was that instant click that made him long to be with her? Something had attracted them to one another at some point, even if now it was long dead. He had to get back to when it all began, when he fell in love with that beautiful, bean-pole blonde that had stumbled upon their front door on that sultry August day.

He'd been planning, too. Thinking ahead. When he found whatever it was about his wife that was so appealing, he'd exploit it to the breaking point and force himself to only see the good in her. He would make himself happy with her; he promised himself that he wouldn't spend his life pining away despondently until he withered away like a rose after the first crisp snowfall. He would force his torch for Raven to burn for Terra.

He'd already mentally packed his bags. He couldn't stay in town, not when every street sign, lamppost, and mailbox wore her face. He decided to move out east, maybe to New York. Not to the city through, he'd had enough of the hustle and bustle of daily life. They would move upstate and buy a house, a big one, with blue shutters and a big backyard. And kids. They would have three kids; two boys and a girl. The girl would be the oldest and named after his mother. The boys would be twins and wild and would have his eyes.

And at night, after they had gone to bed, he would sit in the den and play the latest gaming system he'd just bought for the boys. And she would creep in, silent as the darkness, and seductively slink her arms around him, and she would sit in his lap and watch for a while, before she would coax him into a more productive way of spending the evening.

These thoughts were what was keeping him afloat, keeping him from sinking into the blackness of the world that he'd created for himself. He'd managed to craft a little raft out of his pipe dreams of a new life and on it he drifted out of the murky sea waters and into the bright horizon.

He knew he'd have to tell Terra about Raven. That was the one flaw in his scheme. As much as he hated to do it, he might have to play up the 'Raven's in love with me' bit of the story while 'accidentally' omitting the part about his own feelings in the matter. He had to play to her weaknesses, and naturally her biggest weakness of all was her revulsion for Raven. If he could get her to believe that Raven was entirely at fault then maybe it would be easier to patch up the relationship.

Garfield groaned and slid his hands around the back of his neck, digging his nails into the layer of skin that covered his spinal cord.

He was going to hell. Thinking that just sealed the deal.

Although the idea of actually having to do that left a sour taste in his mouth, Garfield couldn't shake his wonderful feeling of giddiness. In his head, everything was going swimmingly, and he couldn't help but be a little elated to tell Terra his plan.

It was with this confidence that he entered his home for the last time.

It was darker than he had expected it to be, and the usual crisp, Fabreeze-fresh air was stained with the awful stench of smoke. Coughing, Garfield waved a hand and pulled his shirt collar over his mouth and nose. He stumbled to the light switch and flicked it, only to have it not work. Glaring angrily at it and eventually hitting it, Garfield sighed and bumbled around the ebony room searching for some form of illumination.

Suddenly the curtain of the picture window parted, releasing a swell of silver glowing moonlight into the room. Garfield squinted and managed to make out a slender, silhouetted figure with a burning crimson spark glittering between her fingers. Shielding his eyes with his hand, Garfield took a step forward.

"Ter?"

The blonde didn't speak, but slowly blew the smoke out of her perfectly o-shaped ruby red mouth.

"Since when do you smoke?"

"Since when do you take the time to notice?" She took another long drag and sighed contently, the gray smog drifting slowly out between her parted lips. She gestured for the couch and Garfield sat, expecting her to sit beside him. But instead she sat across from him in an easy chair, folding her magnificent legs over one another. She stared straight at him, her face the only part of her that was concealed with darkness.

"We need to talk."

Garfield grinned, in spite of the eerie atmosphere. "Yeah, great! I really wanted to talk to you about some stuff." His voice was too cheery to be on the same page she was, but she raised an eyebrow and egged him to proceed anyway. "I was thinking we're ready to step it up a little. Like, leave town, start again?" She knew where he was going with this and she lifted a hand to halt him, although he ignored it. "I mean, we've been together so long, maybe it's time we cool our jets, settle down-"

"Garfield."

"-Start a family." He wanted to go one and tell her about the dog that he'd already picked out, but something told him to stop. Terra's hand slowly returned to her lap and she took another drag of her cigarette.

"This isn't what I meant." She drawled, the smoke puffing out and giving life to her words. Garfield's brow furrowed and he tried to speak but was quietly silenced again. Terra rolled the ashy cylinder around between her ring and middle fingers. The vermillion radiance of the cigarette made her gold ring flash a bright, sinister red, like the fires of hell. "You know our marriage is in shambles." Garfield jumped on the defensive.

"But we can fix it! It can be like that song! We can work it out! We can work it out!"

"Ga-ar." She muttered with increasing frustration.

"Try to see it my way, do I have to keep on talking til I can't go on?-"

"This isn't a time to be cute, Garfield." She snapped ferociously, her face momentarily flashing in the moonlight. Garfield sat back like a scolded child and fiddled with his thumbs, listening to her every word. "It's not something that can be repaired overnight."

"It will take time." Her hand rose as if she were about to strike, but it quickly settled back in her lap.

"We're not teenagers anymore, Garfield. Our problems can't be wiped away by a trip to the malt shop." Her tone was enough to send shivers crawling down his back. It wasn't that it was threatening or foreboding in any way, it was simply so...calm. Relaxed and even, like the eye of the storm. Garfield knew he was in for the worst, so he pulled out the shield and dodged the problem the best way he knew how.

"When did we ever go to a malt shop? Are those even around anymore?"

"Shut UP." Her voice barely elevated above a whisper, but it still frightened the green man to no end, and he wondered how his pants were so dry. He could see a section of her hair fall out of place and a hand lift to fix it. On the way up, she treated herself to another drag. "It's actually kinda funny that you mention you wanted to start a family." Her head lolled on the back of the seat.

"And why is that?" he asked in a cautious tone.

"You're timing is just very good." She sat up, leaning towards him like a cat stalking its prey. "I'm pregnant."

Garfield could barely voice his joy. He felt his insides churn and his face was shining like a starry night. Suddenly he was assaulted with the thoughts of attending his son's fist baseball game or having his daughter stand on his feet while he waltzed. Before he could control himself he exploded from his seat and dragged Terra into a tight embrace, spinning her a few times around the room before setting her down and touching her abdomen.

"Oh my God, this is so wonderful! This is what we needed! We can make it work for our child! Our beautiful little kid that's growing inside you right now!"

Terra brushed away his affections, but he continued to graze her face and shoulders with his fingertips.

"I can't believe I'm going to be a father! I can teach them to blow spit bubbles with their tongue! And take them to the park on Saturdays! And-"

Without warning, she slapped him. Hard, and across the face. Gasping and eyes wide in shock, he touched his reddening cheek, and for the first time all night, he could see her face clearly. She wore an expression on anger and malice, but he didn't let that deceive him. It was an act. It was evident in her turgid, dead eyes.

"Wake up!" She shouted. "Is this how I get through to you? You're acting like an idiot, now listen to me!"

"I-I was just happy..." he stuttered, but cut himself off. She turned away, her profile facing him and her hand cradling the bridge of her nose. She was hushed for a long time, and he bravely continued. "I don't see why I can't-"

"You're not going to be a father."

He was motionless, his body refusing to act upon what was just said. "W-What?" he murmured in disbelief.

"This kid? It's not yours."

Garfield felt a sledgehammer go through him and crush every dream he'd planned so meticulously. He saw the smiling face of his little girl shatter just before he led her down the aisle to her waiting fiancée. He watched as the beautiful house with the blue shutters fall through the foundation. And he saw the picture of him and Terra holding hands explode into oblivion.

No. This is some sick joke. She couldn't...not when she was married...

"You're lying." he rasped, still unable to gain control of his body. She looked up, her face a perfect deadpan, and slowly turned to him.

"No, sweetheart, no."

"But...But that means you...and you couldn't have..."

"Yes."

"N-No."

"Yes."

His breathing was quaking and his heart was about to tear itself out of his chest. Everything was slowly setting it; the late night calls, the fact that she was never around, the cold manner she'd been treating him with. But...how? How could she do such a thing? After...

"How long?" He growled, his voice climbing in intensity.

"Six months." She replied without hesitation.

"Do I know him?"

"Very well, actually."

Garfield's inner beast unleashed its rage and he ran headlong into her, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her like a ragdoll.

"YOU WHORE! YOU GODDAMN WHORE! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS! AFTER ALL WE DID!"

He continued to berate her and scream, but all the while she didn't wince once.

Finally, he felt his strength drain from him, and his fury was replaced with an unparalleled desolation, and he found himself suddenly stroking her tenderly and feeling as if he would collapse

"No, no no no no. Not after this. Not after everything I've done for you."

"Exactly what have you done for me, Mr. Logan?"

"I gave you a home! I gave you a job! Damn it, I loved you!"

She laughed cynically, slapping away his gentle hands. "You haven't loved me in years." she replied dryly.

"But I cared about you enough to not hurt you. You-You have no idea what I gave up, do you? Everything I did...our plans...Raven..."

"Yeah I suppose you can go finish things off with her, seeing as we're not going anywhere." And he was screaming.

"I didn't DO anything with her because I knew it would hurt you! I stayed true to you because I made a promise and I kept it! I killed myself, I killed Raven, ALL FOR YOU!"

Garfield's knees buckled beneath him and he sank into the ground.

"Everything for you...Everything." She stared at him with that cold, unfeeling gaze, and walked away from him, arms folded as she watched the moon move across the sky. Garfield looked up at her, bathing in moonbeams, her long golden hair cascading past her shoulders, one arm tucked around her stomach as the other hooked outward, holding a burning cigarette with her numb gaze fixated on some unknown point in the distance, her ice walls gradually sealing her off from the rest of the world.

And he was suddenly struck by how tragically beautiful Terra Markov truly was.

Without a word, he rose and stumbled out the door, unaware of where he was going but secure in the knowledge that he had to leave. The door locked behind him with a click, the last sound of the apartment he would ever hear.

Terra glanced back over her shoulder and sighed, dropping the cigarette and crushing it under her foot. She gawked at her ring for a long time, but with a fierce grimace ripped it off with a scream and threw it across the room. The golden circle rolled gracefully in small spirals before stopping short at a man's feet. He chuckled quietly to let her know he was present.

"I'd say that went well."

She whirled on him with the most vicious look she could harbor.

"I. Hate. You." The malevolence drooled from her words, but he only laughed again and advanced, stepping on the ring as he passed.

"I can see why, seeing as how much I've ruined your life. Or was that you, my dear?" She her glare intensified and she slowly moved towards him with every word until she was nose to nose with his smug, haughty face.

"You don't seem to get it, do you? We're probably the two most fucked up people in the whole damn world. Imagine what our kid is going to be like."

She turned away from him curtly, folding into herself and closing her eyes. A warm pair of arms snaked around her waist, and though she did not want to, she gave into the dark seduction she had succumbed to long ago.

"I do think you handled him brilliantly. Honest. Just as I would." His voice was low and blown into ear with such heat that she suddenly longed for his body. He kissed her neck twice and murmured again.

"You've done well...Apprentice."

* * *

Raven sat at the foot of the stairs, pushing a ball around with her foot. The other was curled up over her thigh and her arms were folded on the beautiful marble. She realized that she couldn't stay in her room because all she would do was replay the message over and over again. She had showered and changed; for some reason she had the inclination to look decent. After milling about the apartment, trying to think of other ways to occupy herself and failing miserably, she slinked down to the entrance of the building with the plan to go for a walk. This idea never set foot, because she couldn't bring herself to leave. She was chained to the apartment building like a phantom.

So here she was, pathetically kicking a rubber ball she'd found softly before letting it roll back to her. She still couldn't believe she had been reduced to this. She often compared herself to a mopey teenage movie where everyone cries and slits their wrists. She was somewhat right. Years on hiding her emotions had finally caught up with her.

She was desolate because she was in love.

As much as she hated to admit it, even though she was free, her emotions still bound her like a captive on a ship.

She kicked the vending machine prize again, but this time it didn't come back to her. It swerved away and dropped into a knot in the floor, never to be seen again. Groaning in frustration, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, picturing how wonderful life was when she was about to destroy the world.

There was a sudden knock at the door which surprised Raven, considering visitors didn't usually come this late. It was a hurried and desperate knock and, concerned and curious, she hoisted herself up and cautiously unlocked it.

Standing on her front stoop, drenched from the pouring rain, was Garfield. Weeping.

His body shivered from the cold and from the sobs he heaved. The tears were falling gracefully past his beautiful cheekbones and showed no signs of stopping. Horrified, Raven stepped outside, ignoring that fact that she was getting soaked as well. As he held his gaze with hers, her tender, sympathetic gaze that vowed never to hurt him, he wanted to say everything; what Terra had done, how worthless we was, how much he wanted to be with her forever.

But all he could manage was, "She's gone, Rae. She's gone."

It was all he needed to say. Raven wrapped him in a loving embrace, soothing him with gentle hushed words as he wept into her shoulder. Having no strength to stand, he slowly slid to the ground without releasing her and she followed, stroking his dripping locks as she lifted her face up to the thunderous sky, the rain crashing and sliding down her face like droplets of stars. She glittered and sparkled in the pale moonlight, and she glowed because of something else.

And that was how they remained, two lonely souls, keeping each other warm.

_I WIN AT LIFE!_

_I cannot be any prouder of this story. I think it turned out so well and I actually updated in a somewhat reasonable timeframe! Yay!_

_I believe it must be said that I really do like Terra. She's actually one of my favorite characters. I think Terra has two sides of her, as we all do, of good and evil. Hers were simply more pronounced than others and she confused wrong and right. I don't hate her, even if it was monstrously fun making her a bitch. :-)_

_I want to dedicate this story to Alys. I was your secret santa on the shrine, but being the jerkus I am I never got to finish your story since it was magically wiped off the face of the earth and, well, who wants a secret santa in March? You're an amazing person and I want you to know that I wrote this for you._

_Actually, speaking of shrine...eh he he...I kinda lost my password...and I haven't been able to get it back for months. Uh, help?_

_Please, please review this. I really put a lot into it and I'd like to know what you think. Thanks for reading. Love, love, love._


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